For owners

Protecting Your Property: Screening, House Rules and Deposits

6 min read

The owners who have the fewest problems are not the luckiest ones. They are the ones who decided what happens before the guest arrives.

Most incidents are preventable

Serious damage in short-stay rentals is rare. What is common is the slow accumulation of small problems: a stain on a mattress, a cracked induction hob, a missing remote, a party that upsets the neighbours. Nearly all of it is prevented before arrival, not handled afterwards.

Screening without being unwelcoming

Require verified identity for every booking, whatever the platform.
Ask the purpose of the stay in your first message — it is normal, and the answers are informative.
Be cautious with same-day local bookings for one night, the classic party pattern.
State the guest count limit clearly and confirm it in writing before sending access details.
Trust your instinct: it is cheaper to lose a booking than to lose a weekend to a damaged apartment.

House rules that hold up

Rules only work if they are visible before booking, repeated in the confirmation message and short enough to read. Keep them to the ones that matter: maximum occupancy, no parties or events, quiet hours, no smoking indoors, pets only if authorised, no unregistered visitors.

Add the consequence in plain language. A rule without a stated consequence is a suggestion.

Deposits and how they actually work

A security deposit or card pre-authorisation is standard and reassures serious guests rather than deterring them. The amount should be proportionate to the value at risk, disclosed on the listing, and released promptly after inspection. Disputes are almost always about process, not money: document the condition of the property with dated photographs after each turnover and the question rarely arises.

Practical protection checklist

Noise monitoring that measures decibels, not conversations, in shared buildings.
Mattress and pillow protectors under every set of linen.
An inventory with photographs, updated monthly.
Appropriate insurance — most standard landlord policies do not cover short stays.
A local contact who can be on site within the hour.
Written building rules handed to guests where a condominium applies them.

When something does happen

Act quickly and calmly: document, notify the platform within its deadline, and communicate with the guest in writing only. Most platforms have strict windows for damage claims, and a claim filed late is usually a claim lost.