For many people, owning a vacation home is the dream of a lifetime. In addition to having a place where you can escape for some time off or to spend the holidays, vacation homes are often a great way to make rental income.
Vacation homes also come with their own set of complexities. Because they’re often located far away from the owner’s primary residence, it can be hard to keep track of what goes on there. If an accident happens or damage is done, it’s difficult to put the pieces of the story together and know who’s at fault.
Because protecting your rental property or vacation home is of immense importance, here are some of the common problems vacation homeowners experience and the best way to address them.
Repair Technicians Coming and Going
One of the biggest frustrations vacation homeowners experience is figuring out a safe way to let repair technicians and maintenance staff in without leaving a key somewhere outside the property. Criminals are smart and are well-versed in all of the usual key hiding places, from under a doormat to inside a planter or light fixture.
Modern home security systems provide an easy answer to this dilemma. In addition to providing monitoring against threats such as break-ins, fire, and carbon monoxide, today’s security systems are automated. This means they have the ability to communicate with specialized door locks that can open and lock via an app on your smartphone. Did the cable repairman just arrive to get the TV working? Let him in remotely. Once he calls to tell you he’s in his truck and leaving, lock the door behind him.
Who Did That?
You arrive for a week at your beach house to find that the front door is ajar. Thankfully, nothing’s been stolen, but the air conditioner is on the fritz because it was left running nonstop during a heat wave. What happened? Did someone force the door open, get frightened off and leave? Could it be that the family who rented your place a few days before packed up and left without shutting the door?
If your home security system includes video surveillance, you’ll easily be able to check back to see who was the last person to exit your home. As it turns out, your housekeeper brought her teenage daughter along when she cleaned the house after the previous guests left … and the daughter failed to pull the door all the way closed as they left that day. Mystery solved! Protecting your rental property or vacation home can be as simple as installing a camera or two.
Protecting Your Rental Property or Vacation Home — What Goes On When You’re Not Around?
Video surveillance can also be an excellent way to keep track of who comes and goes in your rental home. Did you receive a rental request from what seemed like a quiet couple, only to get a call from your housekeeper that the place was trashed when she arrived? A quick check of the camera footage will reveal the never-ending stream of guests that arrived for an unapproved all-night party. Such evidence will help you hold irresponsible renters accountable for any damage.
Exterior video cameras can also help relieve you of liability for any dangerous behavior that goes on. For example, if someone hits their head while attempting a backflip into your pool but claims that they tripped on a loose flagstone, the camera footage will be helpful in any case that may be filed.
Installing a complete home security system will do more than provide you with peace of mind in regards to things like burglaries and fires in your vacation home. Features such as automation and video surveillance are a wonderful way of protecting your rental property or vacation home from accidents and irresponsible behavior, no matter who comes and goes.
At ProTech Security, we have a strong history of experience, innovation, and customer service. The ProTech Security Advantage is more than 30 years of service in Northeast Ohio and a strong commitment to providing quality, cost-effective protection for homes, businesses, educational institutions and government facilities. To see what ProTech Security can do for you, contact us today.
