How to Protect Your Vacation Rental From Natural Disasters
Plan Ahead To Ensure Your STR Is Prepared For Natural Disasters
Floods, mudslides, hailstorms, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes–these are just a handful of the different types of natural disasters that can occur without warning and cause damage to your short-term rental. Plus, the additional stress of having guests staying at your vacation rental when a natural disaster occurs can be nearly insurmountable.
Thankfully, there’s a few ways that you can ensure that your vacation rental is prepared for any disaster that might happen. Today, we’ll delve into a few ways to protect your short-term rental from natural disasters (and even man-made ones as well).
Make Sure Your STR Insurance is Up-To-Date
No matter where your rental is located, it is absolutely vital that you obtain the proper insurance to protect your property investment. There are all types of short-term rental insurance, but when you’re looking over potential policies, it’s a good idea to be on the lookout for what kind of natural disaster coverage is offered. If your rental is in an area with a history of floods or mudslides, for instance, you would be remiss if you purchased a short-term rental insurance policy that did not cover this type of disaster.
While it’s not possible to be prepared for any and all situations, it’s never a bad thing to spend more on insurance if it means that you’ll be covered in the event of an unpredictable weather event.
Stock Up on Emergency Supplies
Another important aspect of preparing for emergency situations is to stock up on supplies that can come in useful when disaster strikes. Here is a short list of emergency supplies that should be provided in a vacation rental:
First Aid Kit: When natural disasters occur, they may not just cause damage to your home–they can also injure those staying inside of it. For this reason, a first aid kit should be first on your list of emergency essentials, plus it can always come in useful if a guest is injured in another way as well.
Fire Extinguisher: Some fires are man-made and some are just a twist of fate, but regardless, it’s always a smart idea to have a fire extinguisher in an accessible place on your property.
Bottled Water and Flashlights: When a disaster happens, you or your guests may have to shelter in place for a few days, but if the power is off and the water systems have been contaminated, having backup water stores and extra flashlights can come in extremely handy.
Space Blankets: If your rental is located in an area that’s prone to cold weather, having space blankets on-hand can be a lifesaver in the event of a flood or power outage during a snowstorm.
Create a Natural Disaster Plan for Your Vacation Rental
The next step to mitigating any potential problems that might arise from a natural disaster is creating a emergency plan and protocol. This will be helpful not just to you, but to any guests staying on the property as well. To create your plan, first print out a floorplan of your home and highlight multiple exit pathways–this can come in very useful if doors become blocked or if your property has fires that make normal exits impassible. Second, create a list of the emergency supplies you’ve stocked the rental with and let guests know where to find them. Finally, provide your phone number to guests where they can reach you with any questions or concerns, and also provide the number for local emergency services as well.
Keep In Touch with Your Guests During Disasters (If Possible)
When a disaster occurs, it’s essential as a short-term rental owner to stay in the loop with your guests (that is, if cell phone lines are still working properly). Not only will this let them know that you care about their safety and security during this unexpected event, but it will also help you stay updated on what kind of damage has happened so you’re not blindsided when you have a chance to survey it yourself. Plus, the effort will be well-worth the time once your guest leaves you a review, since most guests will appreciate the effort you put in to ensuring their safety during this scary event.
Recommend Travel Insurance to Your Guests
Finally, if you live in a particularly disaster-prone area, it’s never a bad thing to recommend travel insurance for your guests. While it’s a nice gesture to comp a stay that went wrong due to an unexpected weather event, travel insurance can be extremely helpful to your guests and help you to save money on unexpected expenses, since their own insurance company will cover their costs.
Be Prepared for the Worst to Ensure a Great Stay for Your Guests
Natural disasters are unpredictable and can strike at just about any moment, and that’s why it’s vital to be prepared before the worst happens. By purchasing the right insurance coverage, stocking your property with emergency supplies, creating an emergency plan, keeping in touch with guests, and recommending travel insurance, you can mitigate the worst of the financial and psychological stress induced by these events.
Looking for more ways to become an expert short-term rental owner? Check out some of our guides, such as our recommendations to attract more families to your rental or our overview of how direct booking can help your business thrive.