What do you lock off limits to guests?

Question

Getting things together for our first STR (long distance).

What rooms/closets do you typically lock up vs leave open for guest access? Do you lock attic access, etc?

We plan to make a few trips through the year which would mean we want to leave some personal things here. We currently plan for the garage to be unaccessible and laundry room only accessible to guests staying a week or longer. Thinking about other rooms and doors now and looking for input.

Jon Crosby · Answer

Unfortunately this is sort of a property to property kind of answer, but we always just kept the master closet locked and where we kept our personal stuff that we liked to use when going to our property (the guests used the large dresser in the room and other nearby closets to hang things). Additionally we locked exterior storage as well.

Personally, I would not restrict laundry to specific guests as you are going to confuse guests when the see it as an amenity on your listings and then get there and cannot use it. All guests should get the same 'experience' when staying at your property.

Congrats and best of luck on your new place!

Mark Futalan · Answer

@Derek Miller

We have designated stock supply closets that hold our extra bedding, towels, refillables- toilet paper, coffee pods, dishwashing pods etc. These are locked and only our cleaners have access to. We also have our own personal locked closets that we keep our own things whenever we stay and visit the home. We don’t let guests park in the garage too.

Paul Sandhu · Answer

One of my STR tenants has my dumptruck, my Stihl chainsaw, my Stihl polesaw and a ladder.

Paul Sandhu · Answer

At first, any detached garage is locked.  I keep my extra cars and boats in them.  Winter time is where  is where I store my riding mowers.  If the tenants have been there a long time, or are repeat tenants, I let them do whatever they want with the garage.  One guy made it his workshop (been renting by the week for 2 years).  Another garage had a bunch of yard tools.  I let the guy do whatever he wanted with them.  His back yard now has a detached patio that we never knew existed because the blocks were covered with grass.

Erik Stenbakken · Answer

@Derek Miller We do have lock off areas. Those are cleaner's closet and utility areas. I did put keyless locks on the lock off areas so that service people can access it easily if necessary. Or on occasion, if a renter needs access to flip a breaker. Why are they locked off? Because I've had a guest turn off the furnace (looks like a light switch on the furnace) then call and tell me they could not get heat. Had one renter disconnect the coax cable to the modem... then tell me they could not get wifi (hmmmmm, wonder why?). And had one guest help himself to the heat settings on the hot water heater and jacked the temp way up (that would be swell for next guests giving baby a bath). YMMV, but I think some areas are more hazard than help to have open. That said, we do leave open as much as we can in the home: laundry, garage, and all closets (except cleaning closet). I'd say LABEL the closets too. I mean, if a guest thinks one hides the moonshine  ;-)  then they get super curious. If it says "extra linens" that's less mysterious and tempting.

Bill Cereske · Answer

Derek We give our  guests access to the garage as it contains 2 of five parking spaces on the property.  Parking is a huge issue in South Lake Tahoe.  I do not limit access to the furnace and water heater, and have never had anyone fiddle with them.

Danielle R. · Answer

@Derek Miller

We lock off laundry because our association has it available on site and to avoid potential headaches of repair. We also lock off storage for supplies and linens and have a closet for our things. Our hot water heater is in the same closet, so it’s not accessible either and there isn’t really a need for a tenant to access it, so I would consider locking it up if it was easy to do so. If you can, get a lock system that can be accessed with one key for your own sanity.

Good luck!

Derek Miller · Answer

@Bill Cereske definitely planning on the sealed containers! Do you lock off any area where hot water heater/furnace would be? I may be over thinking but don’t want anyone fooling with it besides my local handyman.

Derek Miller · Answer

@Luke Carl I’m going to have to stay at your properties!

Derek Miller · Answer

@Jon Crosby hadn’t really thought about that confusion. Thanks for the input!

What do you lock off limits to guests?

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