advertisement
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit

Airbnb is encouraging hosts to implement “party prevention” tools

Airbnb’s popularity means that anybody can rent their home out to holidaymakers, but that coin flips both ways and that means holidaymakers will likely be partying it up in your home.

This is a problem for homeowners looking to make some extra money as guests can be troublesome and that means neighbours, and potentially other guests are likely to get annoyed.

Enter Airbnb’s Party Prevention solution.

In truth these are listening devices you can place in your home which will alert you when sustained noise (not a door slamming once) is detected. There are three options being touted by Airbnb but only one appears to be available in South Africa – Roomonitor.

“We want to help you protect your space, maintain the privacy of your guests, and preserve your relationship with neighbors. This means helping you detect issues in real time,” says the firm on its website.

The tiny listening device can be plugged in and then interacted with via an app on your smartphone or via a website. When a noise is detected you will be able to see how loud it was an the time it occured but everything happens in real-time.

One Roomonitor costs ~R590 and the device can be controlled via your smartphone. It should be noted that none of the party prevention solutions actually record audio, they are simply monitoring noise levels and alerting the owner when those levels go beyond a certain threshold.

It should also be said that these devices are simply Airbnb’s picks and pricing and availability may differ when you purchase your solution. Airbnb states clearly on its website that it does not endorse these products.

There are, as you might imagine, rules to using these devices in your rental. For one, Airbnb owners must declare that noise monitoring devices are in place and they cannot be installed in bedrooms and bathrooms.

The devices are also not allowed to record audio or video.

As Forbes points out, these devices are not new but Airbnb’s push to have property owners make use of them is.

Whatever the reason behind the renewed push for folks to implement party prevention methods, you may want to think twice about hiring an Airbnb for a party in a quiet neighbourhood, a gadget could be monitoring your noise levels and you may get kicked out of your accommodation because of it.

[Source – Airbnb]

advertisement

About Author

advertisement

Related News

advertisement