Guest Screening Strategies for Large Groups and Events

Renting larger properties has its advantages. Larger homes can command higher nightly rates, and because big groups tend to stay longer, each stay can potentially generate a considerable amount of revenue. 

However, larger short-term rentals also carry a significant risk: It’s hard to tell whether a guest just wants to host a laid-back family vacation or whether they’re planning to throw an out-of-control party.

Fortunately, when you have good strategies for guest screening for large events, you can increase the chance of a hassle-free stay for everyone.

Before You Rent

When you manage short-term rental properties, it’s up to you to determine which potential guests to choose — and which ones to avoid. However, because many guests who intend to host unauthorized parties or otherwise break the rules know how to evade detection, the best course of action is to use multiple screening methods. 

Here’s a look at some of the most effective ways to identify and avoid problematic large groups.

Talk to the Potential Guest

Sometimes, the most effective guest screening for large events comes down to talking to a guest. 

This doesn’t have to seem like an interrogation. Even a friendly chat with a potential guest about their reasons for traveling and their plans while they’re in the city can be revealing. The more experience you have as a property manager, the better you’ll get at picking up on subtle signs that someone will or won’t be a great guest.

Find Out Who Will Be Staying

This strategy might not work for every short-term rental. However, if someone wants to rent a property for an event like a family reunion, consider asking for the names and ages of everyone attending. 

A large group of unrelated people may indicate that the guest who wants to rent the property is planning to host a party. This isn’t always the case, though; the renter could be planning to host a corporate retreat or similar event.

At this stage, you should be wary of other potential warning signs of unauthorized parties. For instance, if two people are renting a four-bedroom house for the weekend, there’s a good chance they’re planning to invite several other people they aren’t telling you about.

Collect a Security Deposit

With short-term rentals, security deposits play two very important roles. First, they reassure owners and property managers that most kinds of minor damage should be covered. Perhaps more importantly, they dissuade guests who believe their stays will cause damage to look elsewhere. 

In that sense, larger security deposits can add to your strategy of guest screening for large events. Someone who wants to host a party might reasonably assume party guests could cause at least minor damage, and they likely won’t want to both pay for the rental and lose an entire security deposit.

Choose a Guest Screening Solution

Manually screening guests might be feasible if you only rent one or two properties. However, when you manage multiple rentals, you need a more efficient, thorough, and cost-effective strategy for guest screening for large events. A streamlined, automated process can be a real time-saver. 

At Safely, we’ve designed an intelligent guest screening process that protects guest privacy, offers fact-based assessments, and is fully Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) compliant. Here’s how it works:

• We ask for a potential guest’s name, date of birth, and current address
• We check court records, criminal databases, sex offender lists, and other sources
• We check against our own database of guests who have damaged rentals
• You choose to accept or deny the guest

With this solution, we provide you with the information you need without making potential guests worried about privacy concerns. While would-be guests might understandably be wary of giving out their Social Security number or other sensitive information, they’re generally more than happy to provide a name, address, and date of birth.

Protecting Yourself During the Rental

Prescreening can be a great way to filter out guests who intend to throw unruly parties or host unauthorized events. There are a few additional strategies you can use to protect yourself, whether you choose to rent to event-hosting guests or not.

Invest in Short-Term Rental Insurance

A short-term rental insurance policy won’t prevent you from renting to problem guests. However, if you do end up with a guest who hosts an unauthorized gathering (or if a guest at an authorized gathering causes unexpected damage), short-term rental insurance can protect your rental properties and your business as a whole. 

When you choose a short-term rental insurance policy with Safely, you can rest assured that damage to the structure of the home or its contents should be covered.

Consider Noise Sensors

Some short-term rental managers install indoor noise sensors that send an alert if noise levels get out of hand. While these noise sensors can be helpful, they aren’t foolproof. Depending on the threshold you set, you might get alerts if a guest is watching TV a little too loudly. 

Many property managers who install noise sensors attempt to get in touch with guests as soon as they get an alert, but this may not always be feasible. If you do go this route, it’s wise to make sure you have a clear policy outlining how you respond to noise issues.

You also should make sure to disclose the fact that you use noise monitoring technology before a guest agrees to rent from you. If the guest is hesitant to agree, that may be a red flag. However, most people who hope to throw large parties would simply look elsewhere.

Safely: Here for You and Your Properties

At Safely, we understand that guest screening for large events can be nerve-racking and time-consuming. That’s why we offer a seamless guest screening process and flexible short-term rental insurance solutions. You want to protect your rental properties — and we do, too! Get in touch for a free quote today.