94 | How to Make Your Short-Term Rental Safe: Top 5 Preventable STR Accidents from 2020 | with Justin Ford

When people stay at a rental property, they have an expectation that the property is safe and secure. This is something that we, as hosts, need to make our top priority.

But in 2020, there were several preventable incidents in short-term rentals that managed to make the news, and we’re going to go over each of them—and how to make sure you’re only making headlines for the right reasons.

Of course, that means we’re talking to Justin Ford, our safety captain at Thanks For Visiting and the director of safety and certifications programs at Breezeway. As usual, he’s going to give us a wake-up call when it comes to safety.

CO2 Leaks

10 adults, 15 children hospitalized after carbon monoxide leak in Donnelly

• Keep in mind how many people should be staying at your property.
• You need a carbon monoxide detector in your property, no matter what.
• Our Recommended CO Alarm

Fire Damage

Barbecue Grill Identified as Cause of Lake of the Ozarks Condo Fire

• Inspect your grills every year
• You shouldn’t have a gas grill on a wooden deck
• Fire extinguishers are a must

Deck Collapses

No serious injuries reported in Avon deck collapse

5 hurt when rental house deck crashes down: VA Beach photos

• Get your deck properly inspected. There are three levels you should look at:
• Make sure you personally understand at a basic level how decks are built and how they are designed to hold weight.
• Have your home inspected every five years.
• Have a safety inspection annually.
• Set limits to how many people are allowed on a deck at any given time

Pool Drowning

3-year-old girl dies after being pulled from Glendale pool

Kayaker from New York likely drowned in frigid Maine pond

• Guests need to have a designated pool watcher anytime kids are involved with or are playing in the pool.
• Hosts should not provide pool toys, because they can hide kids in the water.
• Don’t provide kayaks, paddle boards, and more. If someone doesn’t know what they are doing and decides to go out, you are liable.

Fire Pit Accidents

Toddler who fell in fire pit returns home to Vergas from burn unit

• Have a good barrier around the fire pits
• Have good supervision when kids are around a fire pit
• Provide a big bucket of water for putting out the fire and show instructions on how to put it out

Resources:

• breezeway.io
• Safety Checklist: breezeway.io/safety-checklist
• Safety Certification: breezeway.io/safety-certifications Use code TFV50 for 50% off
• Recommended CO Alarm
• Weber Grill
• levislegacy.com
• #STRShareSunday: @mcjoppa.the.hut

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