Welcome to the Tipping Point. Listen in to this bite sized learning series as part of the Vacation Rental Success podcast, or watch the video version on the Vacation Rental Formula Business School's YouTube channel. This episode is brought to you by the kind sponsorship of Price Labs, who will help increase your revenue and occupancy with their dynamic pricing and revenue management tools.

Price Labs have just launched their 2023 breakthrough release of the next generation of revenue management. This brand new cutting edge solution leverages hyper-local data to optimize rates and increase your revenues like never before. Visit the link in the description of this episode. For more information.

Get ready to fire up your business. Here's your host at the Bay.

Welcome to this episode of The Tipping Point. For this episode, I'd like to welcome my son. My business partner and the co founder of the Vacation Rental Formula Business School, Mike [00:01:00] Bayer, and he is sharing his tips today for managing the safety operations of your rental business. As a full time firefighter, certified short term rental safety inspector and advocate for all things rental safety, he is going to share some valuable insights to help you manage the day to day safety aspects of your properties.

This episode comes with several downloads to help you with preparing for the safety of your properties. And you can see the description for the link to get these helpful downloads. So, over to you, Mike. Thanks,

Heather. As part of managing the operations of your business, there needs to be an ongoing and consistent focus on short term rental safety. My name is Mike Bayer and I am the CEO and co founder of the Vacation Rental Formula Business School, and we pride ourselves on teaching new and experienced [00:02:00] rental business owners with the three key pillars of hospitality, responsibility, and trust.

The safety of your guest falls into all three of these pillars. And as a firefighter and certified rental safety inspector through the breezeway safety program, I can't stress how important this side of your business needs to be. If you own just one or a few properties, then you are going to be your own safety inspector.

But if you manage many properties, it would be advisable to designate a member of your team to head up the safety team of your business. Owning the responsibility to maintain a safety program not only helps to prove to your guests that you care about them and build trust with them, but also demonstrates your company's due diligence to provide accommodation that is suitable for rental.

This topic is far reaching and I encourage you to read more about short term rental safety and you can find some great resources in the descriptions of this episode. But in this video, I'm going to cover just five steps that will help you to maintain a minimum level of safety at your properties. We're going to cover home [00:03:00] inspections and safety inspections, turnover safety checklists, hot tub and pool turnover checklists, your safety card and egress and lighting.

So let's get started.

First things first. It's crucial to get a home inspection by a professionally licensed home inspector at least every five years for every one of your properties. Too often when properties are first rented, owners and property managers fail to check the structure to ensure it's suitable for the occupancy load.

This is especially important when inspecting decks, platforms, and exterior stairs to ensure that they can carry the load of the entire occupancy. Just as important to perform is an annual safety inspection. The question is, who can or should do this? Some municipalities require a local official to visit before the rental, um, or before you begin to rent, and periodically thereafter.

Many do not, which leaves the responsibility in your hands. The Breezerway [00:04:00] Property Management Platform has an incredible safety training program headed up by safety expert, Justin Ford, where you can get yourself educated and certified as a short term rental safety inspector. This inspection process covers everything you can think of for both internal and external to the property.

Structure, safety equipment, safety procedures are just some of the items that are examined.

Now you have all your safety equipment in place as stipulated in the safety inspection, you need to make sure it is maintained. Before each guest arrives, make sure to complete a signed and dated comprehensive turnover safety checklist. If your property sits empty for a few weeks, make sure this is done as close to the check in as possible.

This checklist should prioritize the following. Detectors and alarms. Ensure all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in place and functioning. Do this by texting them. During [00:05:00] every turnover, not just at the beginning and the end of the season, check the fire extinguishers and make sure they're easily accessible and not expired.

Take them off their mount, invert them and give them a quick shake. This will help to ensure the extinguishing agent does not clump inside the extinguisher. The first aid kit. You need to stock your first aid kit with essential supplies and apply an easy breakaway zip tie. If this zip tie is discovered broken during your turnover, re inventory and re seal.

Make sure all your safety devices like ladder escape windows are accessible, window and door lops are in working condition, and safety gates are in place if fitted for pools. For your 72 hour emergency kit, you always need to make sure this is available for your guests, should the worst happen. Think about the challenges facing natural disaster prone areas.

This was most recently highlighted by the tragic fires in Maui. This kit can be sealed and only needs to be rechecked if the seal is broken. Emergency [00:06:00] procedures are great to have, and you need to check your emergency guidebook outlining what to do in case of emergencies. Again, if you're in an area prone to natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes and wildfires, these emergencies can happen with almost no notice and having laminated instructions for your guests that they can actually take with them could mean the difference between life or death.

Something as simple as fire alarms going off in a high rise condo building, having instructions to help guests who are not familiar with their surroundings or procedures that may seem common sense to you, are great to have and will make your guests feel more comfortable. Have all these tasks and more on a turnover checklist, and we have provided this as part of the downloads that accompanies this episode.

Check the description for the link to these downloads.

If your property includes a hot tub or pool, you'll also need a separate signed and dated hot tub or pool [00:07:00] turnover checklist. This ensures that all the water features are clean, safe, and ready for your guests to enjoy. Regular maintenance of pools and hot tubs is not just about cleanliness, it's also about safety.

Make sure to check the chemical levels and ensure all safety barriers are intact, and documenting this procedure will help to support any claims against you should a guest complain about the water quality or chemical balance.

Another essential practice is to post a safety card in a clearly visible location in the property, sometimes in several areas. This can be created simply by putting in a frame on the wall or using tent cards or fridge magnets. This card should include the property address, so guests can quickly relay the correct information to 911 operators.

Expected emergency response times make sure your guests know if your location has longer than usual, longer than usual emergency [00:08:00] response times. This is essential in emergency situations to know how long help will take to arrive. If your property is pet friendly, have a 24 7 emergency pet number or the nearest clinic that will accept emergency cases.

And if your pool, if your property has a pool or waterfront access, you can make sure this information is posted there as well. So should an incident occur, far away from the property, then people can call and have that information easily to hand.

Egress or a way to escape and lighting are two areas that I personally find that are often overlooked. Your guests will rarely be familiar with your property unless they are a repeat guest. You need to understand this when preparing a property. Install emergency nightlights throughout the property to help guests find their way around it in the dark.

Or, a smoke filled environment. [00:09:00] Also make sure every bedroom has at least two ways out. In many jurisdictions, this is the law, and in a tragic fatality, this could be punishable by jail time if you are advertising bedrooms without two ways out. If in a basement, your lookout windows must be big enough for people to escape.

Bedrooms on the second story with a long drop from the window should have an emergency escape ladder installed or accessible in the bedrooms. Don't be the next rental business owner being charged with negligence due to a fatality. Safety should never be compromised. By following these steps, you're not only protecting your guests, but also building trust and credibility of your rental business.

Guests appreciate the extra sec The extra steps taken for their safety. It makes them more likely to return and recommend your property to others. Thank you for joining me in this episode. A reminder that this episode comes with several downloads to help with preparing your safety of your properties.

See the description. See the description for the link to get those helpful downloads. [00:10:00] And if you found this video helpful, please like, share, and subscribe for more tips on running a successful short term rental business. Stay safe, everyone. We hope you enjoyed this episode of The Tipping Point. Don't forget to check out this week's sponsor, Price Labs, to help you master the art of dynamic pricing for your short term rental business.

Click the link in the description of this episode for more information.

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