AirBnB Not All It Appears

[Perry]

Insurance companies to wear cost of women's rental burglary spree
15 May 2019

Insurance companies will be about $35,000 out of pocket after a holiday home cleanout spree by two women. Terangimarie O-Te-Arohuni Jury, 36, and Samadhi Kalita Lucas, 31, had admitted a raft dishonesty charges relating to the stripping household gear from Christchurch rental properties. Two years and six months for one and two years and three months jail for the other.

Enjoy the premium increases, won't you?

Earlier story

[Learning]

A couple new lines for everyone's insurance policy: key and/or combination locks must be changed between every tenancy/short term rental. And outdoor unsecured items will no longer covered for theft at such properties.

[sidinz]

A couple new lines for everyone's insurance policy: key and/or combination locks must be changed between every tenancy/short term rental. And outdoor unsecured items will no longer covered for theft at such properties.

As someone who runs an Airbnb, changing the combination after each guest sounds like a nightmare.

I try to minimise the chances of this happening by not giving out the info until the day before their booking is due to commence, but I don't fool myself that they couldn't come back afterwards.

Some hosts have theirs automated so that the key location and combination is sent out the day the booking is made. No thanks! All they need to do once they have it is cancel the booking.

[Monsterbishi]

You can get electronic locks that you can change the code remotely these days - problem solved.

[Perry]

What do they cost?

I presume they'd need to be installed by a locksmith?

[Monsterbishi]

Check out the Yale Assure SL range, for insurance purposes I'd certainly get a locksmith to install and you do need to have a degree of technical nous to setup :-)

[sidinz]

While those would be great in some setups, it wouldn't be workable for me.

[Nick G]

I've stayed in plenty of motels with an old fashioned metal key so I'm not sure why this is suddenly a big thing.

[Learning]

I've stayed in plenty of motels with an old fashioned metal key so I'm not sure why this is suddenly a big thing.

The big thing is that most motels don't hide the key under the rock next to the flower pot, remain unoccupied for days at a time and therefore much less likely to be a target for a returning lightfingered guest.

[Perry]

Not to mention on-site cleaners, receptionists, security cameras and owner/operators.

[Learning]

I dont know about that. From what I read on Stuff there's a few Airbnb's with hidden cameras out there. Usually dressed as smokealams in the bedroom.

[cube]

Online locks, like most Internet of Things devices (online fridges, toasters, locks, lights, baby monitors) are all potentially hackable, and security will vary from company to company, depending on their technical nous and how much they care.

[Learning]

True but the average Joe who books temporary accommodation is just as likely to be a master hacker as they are a master lockpick. Any adaptable security system is better than a fixed one for this application.

[Bluecoat]

Expensive items need to have RFID tags on them, any movement outside their zone will trigger and lert the landlord.

Plus IOT and block chain will solve this issue