Security and Access Control Considerations for Airbnb Hosts

Airbnb is still growing, globally, and as you might imagine, Southern California is a popular Airbnb hotspot. And why not? We have the sun, the surf, the entertainment and so much more.

Safety and security, for both their guests and the property itself, has to be top of mind for any Southern California Airbnb host. However, there are some special access control considerations that must be kept in mind if you want to be a ‘superhost’ who can offer guests a safe stay while also protecting your property and its contents. Here’s a look at some of the most important.

Doors and Locks: Making Things Convenient, Safe and Secure

Many travelers love Airbnb because of the flexibility it can offer. Many also appreciate the peace, quiet and privacy. A trip can be so much more enjoyable when you can come and go as you please, uninterrupted by hotel staff. Getting in and out of the property is something that Airbnb owners have to give careful thought to.

The old way of letting a guest into your property was by giving them a key. In some cases, there would be different keys for different areas of the house, especially if the property, as is the case for many larger Airbnb properties in Southern California, has been divided into several different units.

This process is, however, cumbersome, inefficient and not very secure. Hosts would either need to be available to hand over the keys or place them in a lockbox. Keys are easy to duplicate and easy to lose, and if there are several entrances a guest has to unlock things get even more complicated.

Automatic locks are a far better access control solution for everyone involved. They can usually be set and reset via a mobile phone, which allows hosts to create a new passcode for each guest that can be changed as soon as they check out. This prevents unauthorized (unpaid) reentry will also offering the guest extra peace of mind that they will be super safe inside.

If your Airbnb contains several units passed the front door, a code handle lock can be an excellent way to secure the space and allow easy access control to those who are supposed to be there (ie paying guests)

These handles, like this one from one of the excellent security equipment providers we use, ASSA ABLOY, look like standard door handles, but they have a built-in keypad into which an access code will need to be entered in order for it to open. This code can be set and reset remotely on an as needed basis and the handle itself is sleek and unobtrusive, so it won’t clash with your interior decor.

Party Damage Prevention

Most Airbnb guests are great. They respect the host and their property and behave in a wholly appropriate manner. Most guests. There are stories, horror stories, about parties that get out of control, doors that are left unlocked so valuables are stolen, and noise levels that not only annoy neighbors but violate local ordinances as well.

This can be especially worrying for Airbnb hosts who do not live in or around the property. A tilt motion sensor can help. These sensors can alert a host when a door has been open for too long, or when it is being constantly opened and closed (a great indication that a party’s happening) and even if certain valuables have been moved.

Alerts are sent to a cell phone, no active alarm is sounded on the property, and so a host can monitor activity without violating guests’ privacy.

Sounds sensors are another great way of alerting Airbnb hosts to unusual behavior without encroaching on the guests’ privacy. A sound sensor will alert owners to any decibel spikes in their property. It doesn’t eavesdrop or record sound. It just alerts the host of loud noises.

Video Cameras

Video cameras are a sticky issue with Airbnb, so you have to make use of them carefully. If you have any cameras installed this must be disclosed in your listing in general and to any paying guests specifically. Most guests, however, are fine with CCTV camera installed at entrances to the property, and so as long as you disclose the fact that they are there adding this layer of security will be a plus in many guests’ eyes, not a negative.

New Offices, New Cabling. What Needs to Be Considered?

The business world isn’t stagnant, and it’s not that unusual for a company to eventually reach a point where an office move is on the cards.

In the ‘old days’, such a move meant loading up furniture and files into trucks and heading off. It was hard work and something of a pain, but nothing compared to moving today’s tech laden offices.

While you may have a plan for actually moving your tech to its new home in the back of your mind, there is another important consideration that will need to be addressed before you even choose a new space. Cabling.

The sheer amount of cabling required to ensure your IT capabilities are working to their maximum capacity can be mind boggling, even for a smaller business. Therefore, it’s crucial that you understand your cabling requirements when upgrading your office.

Survey the New Location for Infrastructure Suitability

A new location will need to be carefully evaluated in order to understand the infrastructure capabilities it presents. Surveying the physical layout should be your first move as this will allow you to plan where your cabling, power supplies, networks and telecommunications can be installed.

This is rarely something that can be done successfully without help from an outside expert. The good news is that cabling experts like the Data Installers team can survey both your old and new locations and devise a plan that will keep everything running as it should after the move while keeping the time involved to do so to a minimum.

Discuss Budgeting Issues

Another reason to work with an outside team of cabling professionals is budget. Only when you have a solid plan in place will you be able to determine a real cost estimate of just how much moving your tech is going to work out to. Outside teams will also be able to suggest, if needed, cost-cutting measures that will keep that budget lower without having to sacrifice functionality when you more to your new space.

Plan for Future Expansion

Many businesses move premises because they are outgrowing their old ones. And they want to think that their growth will continue. Therefore, making sure your new premises will allow you to expand in terms of both space and the ability to integrate additional cabling is another must.

Other Considerations to Keep in Mind

Equipment and employee changes can have a drastic impact on the layout of your office. Couple this with the need for expansion and it’s clear to see that reorganizing an office and its cabling is still a big deal when the move is underway. As a result, the following relocation factors need to be considered:

Moving Office Furniture

Cabling is often run under, over and across your office furniture, so it presents a major obstacle when it comes changing your office around. The main sticking point is the downtime incurred from employees unable to work at their computers, so the simplest solution is to move the furniture around out of hours.

Additional Power Supplies

The influx of your equipment may bring with it the need for an upgrade in power supplies and data solutions. However, these utilities also require new cabling or a reworking of existing cabling, so it’s essential that consideration is given to achieving this successfully.

Reorganize and Classify Your Cabling

Over time, office cabling can become severely jumbled as new equipment is integrated and older cabling is left behind. A full office upgrade provides a fantastic opportunity to organize your cabling into something more coherent, so make sure that doing so is a part of the overall plan.

Relocating or upgrading your office is never an easy task and it’s especially difficult when it comes to reorganizing your cabling. However, with careful consideration, planning and expert support you’ll be able to complete a successful move with these tasks completed successfully and with minimal downtime.