In the recent episode of The Vacation Rental Show: How We Grow, host Lynell Gordon is joined by Justin Ford, Director of Short-Term Rental Safety & Certification Programs at Breezeway. Together, they explore more of the most common and pressing risks in vacation rentals
Justin is the Director of Short-Term Rental Safety and Certification Programs Director at Breezeway, as well as the current International Vacation Rental Safety Expert for Vacation Rental Safety.
Hot Tub and Pool Safety
When you’re looking for a property to turn into a vacation rental, chances are you’re looking for it to have a pool or hot tub (or both), or at least space for them to be installed. After all, they are two of the most wanted amenities. But they are also the second biggest safety issue, after slips, trips, and falls. Aside from the drowning risk, there are risks present in the use of chemicals and even a risk of electrocution. Thus, you need to have certain safety measures in place.
Firstly, to avoid chemical burns and water-borne diseases like legionellosis, you need to have someone with appropriate chemical handling training maintaining and measuring the chemicals. Also, you need to change hot tub water at least monthly, given how heavily they are used.
Secondly, ensure covers are locked and cannot possibly be opened by anyone under the age of seven. This is one of the simplest ways to reduce the drowning risk.
Thirdly, include appropriate signage about the health risks and hazards of using the amenities.
“I’ve seen court case after court case where it’s like you had a sign telling your guests to take off your shoes, you had a sign telling them where to park, and you had a sign saying no noise after 10 o’clock, but you didn’t put a sign by the hot tub telling them if they hadn’t checked with their doctor and they get in the hot tub longer than 15 minutes and have a heart attack, they could die.”
Finally, get an electrical inspection on your hot tub at least every two years, making sure that no components are damaged or worn out and posing an electrocution risk.
The Problem with Fire Pits
Fire pits are another highly requested amenity with high safety risks. Often, their risk is underestimated, with people assuming it’s just risky if they are close to the house. That is untrue: “I think the natural assumption that most people have is, Oh, a fire pit, well, the danger there is if it’s too close to the house, it would catch my house on fire. That’s usually what I hear from people, but that’s not how people are getting hurt. The number one incident we’re seeing in short-term rentals with fire pits is kids falling in them.”
The second most common incident comes from people trying to light them with lighters instead of using the igniter switches, which results in the fire pit essentially exploding in their face.
Luckily, there is a simple fix for this
Record a video of yourself demonstrating how the fire pit works and giving quick warnings for hazards and safety features. Upload this to a streaming site and link a QR code to it. This can be then made into a sign or sticker and placed at the fire pit so guests can operate it safely. In fact, you can use this method for any hazardous equipment on your property.
A recent survey actually found that 87% of people think about safety first when booking a vacation, so making these simple safety changes can actually increase business to your rental property as you will be able to market yourself as a safe location.
To listen to the full conversation between Lynell and Justin on How We Grow, follow the links here:
