Short Term Rental and Airbnb Hosting Duty-of-Care

Hosting is a big responsibility. Too often when people are running a Short Term Rental business on Airbnb they think about “heads in beds”, the ROI and the other minutiae of running a small business. But Short Term Rentals have a very human reality that needs to be built into the DNA of your business. STR and Airbnb hosts have a built in duty-of-care that is often overlooked.

How and where people sleep is a very personal thing which is why duty of care is so important for hosts.

However, for Wholehearted Hosts it is a good reminder that there are real humans who are inhabiting our spaces – albeit for only a few days or weeks. There are the day-to-day issues of cleaning, scheduling, prepping for arrivals so it is easy to forget that our guests are more than just work. 

Duty of Care

Today, I want you to consider there is a duty of care – morally and professionally. As hosts we must consider these responsibilities not only when we set up our spaces but as an on-going diligence.

Fire codes, building standards and furniture quality are there for a reason as there can be real consequences of negligence.

Don’t worry, I am not going to go into any horror stories of fires, damage, personal injuries/fatalities. I’m sure you have seen enough of these being hyped in the press. The risks are real however. 

At the very minimum, make sure you follow your city regulations for fire, number of people per booking and the quality of your fixtures. (I have more about this in another post).

This all seems grown up and boring and I feel your pain. Administrative red-tape is dull but professional hosts should be approaching this as a business in all areas – not just the fun parts like decorating or renovation.

The business of being hospitable

If you have been in the short term rental market for long term (or hope to be) you have learned that this is a hospitality business and not an IT marketing algorithm to be cracked.

When I started as a short term rental host about a decade ago, I used to go to lots of meetups. These were organized by Airbnb, VRBO and hosting clubs on Facebook. I was trying to learn as much as I could about the industry. I was shocked at how many of the people at these meetings were IT guys thinking that this was all about SEO or marketing and ROI. So many of these people were not really interested in the people who inhabited their spaces. They were only interested in doing the absolute minimum for maximum return.

This really didn’t resonate with me – I knew there was more to the business than this. Sure, I was in this to make money to support my family. But at my core, I knew there was more to the reason WHY I was drawn to this business. My WHY was that I really wanted to create exceptional guest experiences. That when I went to bed at night, I felt the satisfaction of bringing joy to my guests who stayed in my spaces.

When people are sleeping, they are at their most vulnerable. Taking care of people is a privilege that I take seriously.

If this is resonating with you, come join me in the Wholehearted Host Club

While I am focused on guests as people with human needs, there are many hosts who need a bit of a hand. Hosts need to remember that humans staying under your roof have very real human needs – comfort, support and of course safety.

Safety Regulations and licensing

In many towns, cities and countries, regulations are being stepped up and licencing is required by hosts wishing to rent out their spaces. This is to ensure there is a baseline of many aspects of the short term rental business, including safety, for all hosts – the ethical and the not so ethical hosts. But if you are reading this, then you can feel confident that you are in the first category. 

Don’t be afraid of regulations. It is a great thing for the industry as a whole. Sure there is some paperwork and perhaps some costs, but there are benefits for being seen as a professional operator.

For my own hosting, I needed to get licences as a property manager for multiple properties and then for each individual property. We needed to jump through a few hoops. We were required to upgrade some of the domestic fire systems to professional ones. Plus add some additional fire extinguishers in the kitchen. But mostly all we needed to do was get the certification of our existing systems to qualify.

I list some of my other hosting tools here.

Benefits of Regulations

Before you think that this doesn’t apply to you or you can just stay under the radar, having the appropriate licences has some knock on effects. For example, insurance policies to cover your property and contents. Plus the general liability aspects of a business involving the care of people. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our Registered and licensed business was eligible for government support and subsidies. This was only because we were correctly registered and licensed.

Whether or not you are required by law to have licences, for moral and professional reasons take a look at the safety of your listing. 

Take Action

Take the next step of really looking at your space and ask yourself, is this safe for my family and the people I love? 

Things to add to your next week to-do list is:

• Check batteries in fire and smoke alarms
• Make sure the fire extinguishers haven’t expired and are in visible places
• Declutter and edit your space if extra furniture is impeding an exit route
• Ensure that your exit routes are clearly marked and visible
• Create a safety card and post it on your listing for download
• Tape a list of emergency services phone numbers to the fridge
• Make sure your address is next to these phone numbers
• Schedule a cleaning of the extractor fans in the cooking area
• Schedule a professional cleaning of your air conditioners
• Ensure any balcony railings are not rusted and solid
• Check landscaping around the property if you are in a bushfire zone
• Check your first aid kit to see if you need any tops up

Don’t have a first aid kit? Make one ASAP

I will give a round up of my favorite safety items in another post. I will share what items you should be including in a first aid kit. These are paramount when it comes to duty of care for guests. 

However, something you can action today, please look critically at your space if you were planning to sleep there or your family. 

Better yet, take a night and stay in your space to view life from your guests’ point of view. Make a night of it and turn it into a staycation during a quiet time.

Comment and let me know what you will be doing this coming week to up your game in your duty of care.