More Americans than ever own a vacation home. You may have intended your new vacation home to be for the exclusive use of you and your family, but it turns out that this may not be the best use of the place. Since the home is empty for much of the year, offering the property as a vacation rental can be a nice way to supplement your existing household income. What's the best way to keep your self-managed vacation rental secure and profitable?
Property Maintenance and Security
Listing your property with an online vacation rental marketplace will take care of booking logistics, and you can clean the property as needed (minor cleaning before a guest checks in, major cleaning after a guest checks out). Depending on your DIY abilities, you may be able to perform basic maintenance yourself, but major maintenance (including plumbing and electrical work) should still be performed by a licensed contractor. You have to also decide whether you'll be on hand to grant access to guests after they arrive. However, it's just as secure to hire a locksmith to give you some accessibility options.
A Resettable Combination Deadbolt
You could have a locksmith install a resettable combination deadbolt for the property's front door. Renters can then contact you upon arrival, and you send them the entry code via text message. A resettable combination lock then allows you to manually reset the code as needed, and you can do this during cleaning, once your renters have checked out. This stops them from re-entering the property after their rental period.
A Secure Combination Lockbox
A more cost-effective option can be to have the locksmith install a secure lockbox. This is a small lockable compartment that's attached to the outer wall of the property. It can be right by the front door, but you may wish for it to be in a less conspicuous location to deter any would-be intruders. Not that an intruder would have much luck. A lockbox is designed to be tamper-proof, and can only be unlocked with the correct code—which you'll send to renters when they arrive. Much like a combination deadbolt, it's best for the lockbox to have a resettable code, so you can change it to prevent re-entry.
Keeping your vacation rental secure does not mean you have to physically be there to let your renters inside. Contact a local locksmith to learn more.
Share12 January 2023
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