If your property is located in the residential area, most probably one of our struggles might be ensuring the health and vibrant relationship between tourists and residents.
Although it might seem like an obstacle we believe that it is possible to create a positive coexistence, where your guests can become a part of the local community based on mutual respect and responsible hosting.
To provide this kind of relationship, you – as a host, are responsible for how your business will affect the life of the neighbourhood, where it is located.
With that said, in this article, we have created a guideline for a good neighbour coexistence.
1- Make sure that the vacation rental is legal and licensed to prevent any misunderstanding and unwanted problems
Every city has its regulations regarding short term rentals. You must make your business legal, according to the laws of your location. Making sure that the regulations are being met, will allow your guests to feel welcomed and your neighbours to be tolerant toward your business.
2- Make guest aware that your property is in the residential area
As we have mentioned before, it is your responsibility, as an owner, to make the travellers aware of the space they will be staying. Even before the check-in, when you send a welcome or information email, you can use this chance to introduce your guests to the are where they will be located.
Let them know that they share a unique space with the local community, and for that reason, it is important to respect each other and the location that they live in during the holidays.
3- Create Vacation Rental rules
Every tourist accommodation should have some rules. Making them written and printed out and signed by the guest on the check-in is a standard process.
In such rules, you can include:
- parties prohibition
- no smoking in the building
- where to throw away the trash from the apartment
- no loud noise allowed
Depending on the building and your neighbour community needs you can add more rules, which you need to make sure are being known and respected by the guests.
If your property is certified by WeRespect, this point will be completed by placing on it the environmental and neighbour’ coexistance commitment labels.
4- Respecting the neighbour’s rest
Usually, the time where it is well seen to not make lots of noise is between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. It is the time when most of the people take a rest and sleep. If you want to protect your property from any noise misunderstandings, you can opt for installing the Noise Alarm.
This device will give you notifications in case the level of noise in your short term rental is over the accepted level and permit to react before the problem will develop.
If you desire, you may also have a night staff who can go to the apartment to resolve the issue in case of repeated alerts that guest do not respond, this additional service is known as Alarm Assistant.
5- If you allow pets in your short term rental
Allowing your guests to share their holidays with their animal friends can give you positive feedback and attract more potential guests interested in such accommodations. However, as a host, you need to let your guests know that their pets can’t disturb others and they need to prevent them from dirtying communal parts of the building.
6- Participate in your local neighbourhood associations
As a holiday rental owner, you can move a step forward and become a part of the local neighbourhood associations where you will be able to have direct contact with the residents. There you can find out about the activities organised in your property area, which you will be able to recommend for your guests. Providing like that a unique experience where travellers can get to know from the inside the local life.
Giving your guests a unique experience is not the only requirement of the successful holiday rental. It is about being a responsible host that includes the expectations of both tourists and neighbours. Nurturing the local community with the presence of responsible travellers can bring positive feedback to the tourist destinations.