Hosting and Home Safety - All You Need to Know

/

Blog

The Insider @ Houst
Last updated on
September 19, 2019

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Hosting and Home Safety - All You Need to Know

Airbnb Management Services by Houst | Short-Term Rental Experts

About Houst

Houst is a leading property management company specialising in short-term and medium-term bookings in eight countries. With over 7 years of experience and managing over 300,000 bookings, we help homeowners make the most of their properties.

Learn More

Purchasing a home is - for most of us - the single biggest investment we'll ever make.  So it's no wonder the safety of your home is always our number one priority - we'll take care of it as if it were our own.

Table of Contents

Do you verify guests?

When it comes to guest verification, there's nobody with more experience and expertise than the Houst Guest Support team. Together, they've accepted over 200,000 reservations.

When a guest requests to stay in your home, we'll check several things:

  • Is the guest's profile fully verified? That means a profile picture, a government ID card or passport, payment details and selfie have all been checked.
  • Are all reviews of the guest positive? That's host reviews of the guest, not the guest's reviews of properties!
  • What are the guest's plans during their stay?

If our team have any concerns whatsoever we will politely decline the guest.

Our Guest Support Team are trained as experts in guest verification.

What if something goes wrong during a stay?

With offices in the UK, Canada and Australia our dedicated Guest Support team are able to communicate with guests 24/7. So you can always be sure that we'll report issues quickly and efficiently.

Whether it's a leak or a blown bulb, we're able to act fast to secure your home's safety. For more on this, see our handy maintenance guide here.

What if a guest causes damage in my home?

Damage is rare, but accidents do happen.

We train our housekeepers to look out for possible damage at each clean. If they think they might have spotted something, they'll send a photo back to Houst HQ. Should we need to seek compensation, Houst will handle any claim on your behalf.

The process differs depending on the platform.

Airbnb:

  1. We'll submit a claim and any evidence to your guest via the Airbnb Resolution Centre. Airbnb cover you up to $1 Million USD.
  2. They'll have 72 hours to accept or decline. If they decline - or don't respond - then we'll escalate the case to Airbnb directly.
  3. Airbnb will speak to both parties before making a decision on compensation.

All Other Platforms:

  1. We take a £150 deposit for each and every booking.
  2. If the cost of maintenance is less than £150 only the difference will be refunded.
  3. If the cost is more than £150 we'll submit evidence to the guest and platform. We can then further charge the guest's card.

Do I need separate insurance?

If you are a UK and Ireland Houst host we'll automatically cover you for buildings, contents and public liability when you’re sharing your home with paying guests. The policy is underwritten by Guardhog (Hiscox) and is free of charge.

Some important points:

  • The insurance only covers guests who have booked through a platform which is not Airbnb. Airbnb has its own Host Guarantee.
  • We designed the policy to cover worst-case scenarios, for claims exceeding £1000. The booking deposit will cover claims below this amount.
  • For the policy to be valid, you must have independent separate home insurance in place which would cover you when your home is not being let to paying guests.

If you would like to find out more about our Guest Support Team, how we report damages, and insurance then get in touch with one of New Homes Advisors now.

The Insider @ Houst

The Insider @ Houst

The Insider team at Houst is dedicated to providing up-to-date and relevant information on short-term rentals. If you have hosting inquiries, please write to us at expert@houst.com. For guest inquiries, reach out at guest@houst.com. We are here to help you navigate the world of short lets and look forward to assisting you with your needs.

The Insider @ Houst

The Insider @ Houst

The Insider team at Houst is dedicated to providing up-to-date and relevant information on short-term rentals. If you have hosting inquiries, please write to us at expert@houst.com. For guest inquiries, reach out at guest@houst.com. We are here to help you navigate the world of short lets and look forward to assisting you with your needs.

Commission-Based
Pricing From

12%
of your
rental revenue
The commission depends on
the property profile and location

Complete property management services

We streamline the process of short-term lets and assist in maximising your rental revenue in London.

Listing Management

  • Multi-platform listings
  • Professional photography
  • Listing creation
  • Price optimisation

Guest Management

  • Guest vetting
  • Guest check-ins
  • Linen and toiletries
  • Guest communications

Property Management

  • Cleaning and housekeeping
  • Property maintenance
  • Property insurance
  • Property management software
I hope you enjoy reading this blog post!
If you want my team to just manage your Airbnb for you, just book a call.
TAP HERE to See Your Airbnb Earnings 🏠
See Your Airbnb Earnings Potential.

🔑 Use our Airbnb Calculator & Unlock Your Property's Full Potential

  • Maximise Your Earnings – Find out how much extra you could earn with Airbnb short-term rentals.
  • Tailored Insights – Receive a customized income estimate tailored to your property’s features and location.
  • Optimized Listings – Enhance your property’s appeal with our expert tips and industry insights.
  • 24/7 Management – Enjoy stress-free hosting with our comprehensive guest support and seamless check-ins

No commitments — just a fast, free estimate.

Close

We hope you enjoy our blog!

If you would like to find out more about how our team can help you get the most of your Airbnb, just book a call with us.

Thank you for providing your contact information!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
J’espère que vous apprécierez la lecture de cet article de blog !
Si vous souhaitez que mon équipe gère simplement votre Airbnb pour vous, réservez simplement un appel.
RÉSERVER UN APPEL
Cliquez ici pour obtenir plus de réservations !
Découvrez comment Houst peut améliorer la visibilité de votre Airbnb
  • Optimisation des annonces – Maximisez le potentiel de votre annonce. Faites l’expérience d’une croissance tangible.
  • Photographie professionnelle – Des visuels captivants qui attirent instantanément les invités.
  • Filtrage des invités – Garantir uniquement les invités les meilleurs et les plus sûrs pour votre propriété.
RÉSERVER UN APPEL
Close
Looking to scale your serviced accommodation?
Join Houst’s partnership program — book a call for details.
BOOK A CALL
Starting your Airbnb business?
Houst can help you get started in the serviced accommodation sector:
  • Fastracked growth: Quick portfolio expansion and up to 20% booking commission for property managers.
  • Guest Support and Tech: 24/7 support and tech streamlined operations, enhancing occupancy and guest service delivery.
  • Pricing Optimisation: Increased earnings with algorithm-based pricing strategies.
BOOK A CALL
Close