A case for privacy-safe noise monitoring in short-term rentals

At Minut, we believe that the short-term rental market should be a safe place for both hosts and guests. Privacy-safe noise monitoring allows property owners and managers to enforce the rules displayed on their property listings without using cameras or recording noise. Here’s why we believe guest privacy should be a top priority for all hosts – and why it can help improve guest experience!

Fear can cause unethical behavior among short-term rental hosts

Each year, short-term rental hosts face higher costs in property damages caused by unauthorized parties. On average, these amount to up to $1296 per year. To counter this, many fearful hosts turn to unsafe monitoring methods such as installing undisclosed cameras in their homes, choosing to protect their goods at the cost of breaching their clients’ privacy – and the guidelines of short-term rental platforms like Airbnb. 

These unethical practices have damaged the reputation of the short-term rental market as a whole. More travelers now report preferring to book hotels over apartments due to privacy and safety concerns. With many media outlets reporting cases of tenants finding cameras and other monitoring devices in their bedrooms or even bathrooms, headlines are causing fear to spread and have made guests more aware of the risks that can come with staying at someone’s home while traveling. But is there a solution to this ‘hidden camera epidemic’? How can hosts and guests find common ground? At Minut, we believe that privacy-safe noise monitoring is the key to making the short-term rental industry a better place for everyone. 

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Privacy-safe noise monitoring devices must be disclosed at all times

According to the guidelines of Airbnb and many other short-term rental platforms, all monitoring devices must be clearly disclosed on the property listing. However, this rule is at times looked over by hosts, causing guests’ privacy to suffer. When hosts turn to a privacy-safe noise monitoring device, they are opting for a method that does not record nor film guests while ensuring that the rules cited on their listing are respected.

Minut sensors are the only privacy-safe noise monitoring devices that can monitor indoor and outdoor noise as well as occupancy within homes – without recording sounds. Our cutting-edge technology allows us to monitor decibel levels and alert hosts when they go above a pre-set threshold. Guests then receive a message nudging them to keep the noise down. To monitor occupancy, we estimate the number of connected devices present in the home. That way, we can ensure no unauthorized parties occur without ever recording or retaining information regarding the activities of the guests.

By choosing to implement the right tools and monitoring solutions in short-term rentals, hosts can work towards creating a better environment for their customers without compromising the integrity of their properties. If you’d like to read more about Minut’s commitment to privacy, click here!