Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway and others like it are all popular vacation rental platforms. So maybe you’re thinking about renting out your house, apartment, loft or condo on one of these sites? It’s a great way to make a little extra money and can be a great experience if you take the necessary safety measures. No matter the property, we’ve got the tips to help protect your home from renters.

1) Fire and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Your home already has fire detectors and most likely carbon monoxide monitors. But have you tested them lately? Be sure to check them before any guests arrive. Sonitrol Pacific can also help monitor your home for fire. We can monitor your home even when you’re not there and someone else is.

2) Surveillance: Having exterior cameras may not cover the whole property but it gives you an extra layer of security. With the mobile app, you can check footage from wherever you are and check in on your property. In turn this can give you greater peace of mind.

3) Renters Insurance: The majority of insurance policies cover just the policy holder and family members, not the renters. Which means you could be liable if anything were to happen on your property. Additionally there is landlord insurance that you might want to consider investing in to better protect yourself and your home should you have long term renters.For more short term, as an example, Airbnb has “host protection insurance” so that when you rent out your home, you are protected from liability in case your guests cause property damage or get hurt. There is also a $1,000,000 Host Guarantee which includes protection of your home and your stuff from accidental damage, at no extra cost.

4) Fire Extinguishers: Have fire extinguishers ready and available for your renters should a small fire occur. Make sure they have not expired. Include them in places like the kitchen, garage and laundry room as that’s where fires most often occur.

5) Wi-Fi: If you are planning to offer Wi-Fi to your renters, consider setting up a guest network for an added layer of security. That way guests can’t access your private network and any unsecured devices. Consider having a conversation with them about network etiquette like refraining from illegal downloading, etc.

6) Pictures: Always take pictures of your home before you host guests, whether they are short term or long term. Take more than you think you would need too.

7) Interact Smartly: Your best bet is to communicate completely on whatever platform you are working with. That way you have documented communication with the guests. It is recommended you also use payment on the site because again, you have everything tracked for you, all in one safe place.