Your guide to protecting your airbnb in Oakland

Regardless of whether you sublet your family’s cottage or have a diverse portfolio of Airbnbs, it’s often a challenge to protect your rental properties in Oakland. Unless you’re live on site, it’s easy to think about keys getting copied or past visitors unexpectedly showing up. In addition, what would you do if there’s a flood or fire at the property while you're offsite?

From smart door locks to completely automated home security packages, here are some helpful tips on how to protect your Airbnb in Oakland. 

Say goodbye to traditional keys with smart locks

When a guest checks out, they might leave the keys behind for the next guest. However, if a tenant snatched or secretly made copies of a key, they could sneak back in at a later time. Needless to say, you might switch out your locks after a key goes missing, but that creates delays and cuts into your revenue.

You'll want to put in smart locks that work along with your home’s security to alleviate these worries. You will then issue each visitor their personalized access code. When tenants depart, don't worry about the key exchange. All you need to do is program the door code to no longer work after they exit. If former lodgers return and try their previous access code on the keypad, you will receive a message on your smartphone.

Smart home technology makes vacant units appear occupied at all times

It's nice to think that your Oakland rental property will be occupied, but that isn’t likely to always be the case. However, you need to make it seem that guests are there so your Airbnb isn’t an easy mark for burglars. Installing a security system that includes home automation affords you the opportunity to benefit from smart light bulbs, motion detection devices, and security cameras that make your rental seem inhabited.

You can put your plan in motion by programming some lights to come on at specific hours of the evening. You will also want your security app to warn you if your video cameras notice someone hiding in the dark or coming to your main entrance. You then are able to take advantage of the talk functionality so they know they’re being watched or set your smart lights to instantly turn on when a surveillance device or motion detector discerns questionable movement.

Protect your Oakland rental property with 24/7 monitoring

Your occupants will have more peace of mind if they are safeguarded against intruders, particularly when Oakland is not familiar to them. When a prowler attempts to break in, your home alarm system will not only initiate the alarm siren but will also ping your 24-hour monitoring professionals. Regardless of your location, emergency services will be dispatched. Your monitoring experts can even act as your authorized go-between and patch you in as soon as you're free.

In addition to break-ins, your monitoring team can be connected with fire alarms, flood sensors, and CO detectors. It can be upsetting for your visitor if flooding occurs or a fire breaks out. Not only will you receive a cell phone alert that a potentially dangerous event has happened, but the monitoring agent is also able to arrange for assistance while you're in transit.

Order a modern home security package in Oakland

The first step in protecting your Oakland rental property is to install a state-of-the-art home security system. Luckily, Vivint offers popular choices like smart lights, smart locks, and 24-hour monitoring. Contact us today and our experienced team will help you customize a package that’s perfect for your rental. Phone (510) 281-3999 or complete the form to get started!