Hosting a private property through sites like Airbnb or Booking has made renting more convenient and profitable than ever before. However, hosting strangers in your own flat or house "for the night" does not only involve potential income, but also risks, such as property damage or even theft. We advise on how to effectively secure your property and protect yourself against losses.
Rental property potential vs. risks
Renting a flat "on a daily basis" is becoming increasingly popular, especially in big cities and tourist resorts. It is a flexible, convenient and profitable form of rental for both tourists and property owners. According to Airbnb, the potential of renting an entire apartment, at least for 15 days, for a month in Warsaw is estimated at around 3347 PLN. But in the tourist city of Krakow the rate rises to 3870 PLN[*]. However, such profit may not be enough, especially if it turns out that our property is stolen or damaged and we have to cover large losses. So how can you protect yourself against this?
Rental housing security in a few steps
To avoid potential costs, you need to prepare yourself well before advertising a flat or house for rent. First, you should carefully read the terms and conditions offered by the service that mediates between you and the guest renting from you. Sometimes, when you use the services of such an intermediary, the price will include insurance that will cover any potential damage to the property and public liability protection. If the service does not guarantee such a policy, you should buy it on your own.
Find out: How to protect your home against theft and burglary? Part 1
Regulations are the basic protection
It is also a good idea to create clear rules for the use of the shared property and include them in the regulations that guests will have to accept and abide by. You can include clauses such as a ban on smoking or the need to contact the host, e.g. when there are problems with household appliances. A conversation can sometimes prevent, for example, unintentional damage to the equipment by the guest.
Protect your valuables in a safe
If you're serious about making money from renting out your property "on a daily basis", you should invest in a home safe in which you can deposit valuables, important documents or data carriers. By securing them in a solid, burglar-proof safe that cannot be taken out, you can be sure that a guest will not have access to your most valuable items. In this way, we protect ourselves both from theft and from potential damage to valuables. What is important, a safe can be discreetly camouflaged, e.g. in a wardrobe or a desk, and additionally locked with a key.
However, it must be remembered that the safe should be sufficiently heavy or permanently fixed to the floor so that it cannot be stolen together with its contents. The anti-burglary protection of a safe is also guaranteed by certificates of reputable institutions and an appropriately selected security class.
[*] Based on: https://www.airbnb.pl/host/homes.
Read also: Antique safes
