433. How Safe is Your Short-Term Rental? Expert Safety Tips with Justin Ford

Thanks For Visiting

Airbnb Superhosts Annette Grant & Sarah Karakaian

How To, Investing, Society & Culture, Education, Places & Travel, Business

4.9 • 590 Ratings

🗓️ 30 January 2025

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Safety isn’t just a checkbox—it’s essential for every short-term rental. In this episode, international safety expert Justin Ford returns to discuss the biggest safety risks hosts often overlook and how to protect your guests and business.

From smoke alarms and fire extinguishers to hot tub safety and bunk beds, this episode is packed with actionable insights for hosts at every level. Justin has spent over a decade advocating for vacation rental safety, and today, he’s sharing the most critical lessons from real-life incidents, upcoming regulatory changes, and how to stay ahead of safety requirements.

We’re also joined by Wendy Doris, a successful co-host, who shares how implementing Justin’s safety strategies has improved her business and given her peace of mind.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

The most overlooked safety risks in short-term rentals
Why fire safety should be your top priority (and common mistakes hosts make)
How to keep guests safe in hot tubs and pools
The real cost of ignoring safety (beyond legal liability)
Why the Breezeway safety course should be mandatory for your team
The future of short-term rental safety regulations and how to stay compliant

Listen now to ensure your rental meets the highest safety standards.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Breezeway Safety Course (free training for hosts) – Sign up here
Breezeway STR Software (your first property is free) – Claim it here
Smoke Alarm with Strobe (for hearing-impaired guests) – First Alert Store
Heat Detector (for garages & attics) – First Alert Store
Best Fire Extinguisher for STRs – First Alert PRO5

Add This to Your Listing

Hosts should include a Safety section in their Airbnb or direct booking listing:

Safety: We do full safety audits of this property annually, and smoke alarms, CO alarms, pool alarms, and the quality of hot tubs and pools are checked before each guest arrives. Our annual safety audits include fire safety, fall prevention, emergency preparedness, electrical and appliance safety, furniture and amenity safety, and pool and hot tub safety.

More from Justin Ford

Other Episodes Featuring Justin:

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

HUGE Aircover Mistake Most Airbnb Hosts Make – Watch Now

Take Action: If you do one thing today, check your smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, and emergency exits. Implementing even a few of Justin’s tips can make your rental significantly safer for guests.

If you found this episode helpful, subscribe and leave a review to help more hosts improve safety in their rentals.

Happy Hosting!

Mentioned in this episode:

Fido | Visit getfido.com/tfv & get your first month free!

Extenteam | Receive 20% off the first 2 months with Tailwind!

Hostfully | Go to https://www.hostfully.com/tfv and use TFV100 to get $500 off your subscription.

Proper Insurance | Book Your Risk Assessment Today

Quiz | Take our quiz to reveal your hosting personality style!

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hosts, let's get real. Is your short-term rental truly protected? And no, we're not talking about
0:06.3	air cover. That's not your insurance. It's Airbnb's. If you're relying on air cover or a standard
0:13.2	homeowners or landlord policy, you're leaving yourself exposed. Exactly. Air cover only applies
0:19.4	to Airbnb bookings and you have no control over how claims are
0:23.2	handled. You might be thinking, what about my homeowners or landlord policy? Well, they're not designed
0:29.3	for short-term rentals. That means guests cause damage, lost revenue, even liability claims could come out of
0:36.0	your pocket. But here's the solution, Proper Insurance. They offer one complete policy built specifically
0:42.6	for short-term rental owners. It replaces inadequate homeowners or landlord coverage and gives
0:48.0	you protection for property, liability, and even revenue loss if your rental is out of commission.
0:55.3	What we love about Proper is that they cover every booking, Airbnb, Verbo, direct bookings, and even protect you
1:01.7	during your personal use or vacancy period. Their expertise in short-term rentals mean they
1:07.8	understand the unique risks you face as a host. Don't wait until something happens
1:12.3	to realize that you're not covered. Visit www. Proper Insurance.com forward slash TFE to schedule your
1:20.3	free risk assessment today. Click the link in our show notes or visit www.com proper insurance.com
1:27.0	forward slash TFE to get started.
1:29.3	Proper insurance will review your current policy, point out any gaps, and help you build a plan
1:34.0	to protect your property and income.
1:41.9	You're listening to the Thanks for Visiting Podcast.
1:44.4	We believe hosting with Heart is at the core of every short-term rental.
1:49.1	With Annette's background in business operation and Sarah's extensive hospitality
1:53.4	management and interior design experience, we have welcomed thousands of guests from over 30
1:58.8	countries earning us over a million dollars and garnering
	...

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