Noise detectors in your vacation rental villa: an irreplaceable tool

In recent years, the short-term rental industry has grown exponentially. Hosts may choose to manage their own properties or to go through property management companies to help them provide the best guest experience possible across their portfolio. Unfortunately, the growing success of the industry has caused a few drawbacks – including the risk of unauthorized parties and the damages and costs associated with them.

Excessive noise has become a major concern for all hosts, with many of them choosing to use a noise alarm or detector to protect the peace of their community. Often found in apartment buildings, noise detectors are an efficient way of being notified as soon as an unauthorized gathering takes place.

However, the importance of using noise detectors is often forgotten in vacation rental villas sporting outdoor areas such as pools, gardens, or terraces. Here’s why you should keep an eye – or rather an ear – on these spaces.

1. Sources of noise specific to a vacation rental villa

All vacation rental properties are at risk of encountering the following common noise disturbances:

• People talking too loudly.
• An excessively loud television.
• Doors slamming a bit too frequently.
• Barking from our four-legged friends.
• Noise generated by home appliances at inconvenient times.

Offering travelers the opportunity to enjoy a property with outdoor spaces where they can relax can unfortunately have drawbacks when it comes to the peace and tranquility of the neighborhood. On a warm summer evening, guests may choose to spend more time outside, which can become an issue when they are inconsiderate or just simply forget about their surroundings. 

In instances of excessive outdoor noise, there are no walls, doors, or windows to muffle voices or music. Similarly, a pool, a jacuzzi, or a barbecue area can quickly become the starting point for lively gatherings. In many cases, there’s just no way for neighbors to block out the noise – an issue that may open the door to conflict between you and your community.

Managing a vacation rental villa exposes guests to a new panel of noise complaints and issues – especially without noise alarms or outdoor noise detection in place.

2. Potential risks caused by outdoor noise

As the owner or manager of a vacation rental house, you are not immune to seeing your relationships with neighbors deteriorate. Regularly hosting noisy travelers can often have severe consequences on the quality of life of neighbors, and thus on the health and growth of your short-term rental business. Here are a few of them:

• Complaints made directly to your guests, which may impact the quality of their stay and cause them to leave a negative review.
• Police intervention on-site.
• Legal actions taken against you.

It is important to highlight the impact that excessive noise can have on your community. With unauthorized parties often occurring at unsociable hours, they may prevent your neighbors from resting at night, disturb their work schedules, and severely affect their health but also work and social lives.

Unauthorized parties can also cost you thousands in fines and property damage each year, hence why your profits are likely to take a hit if you don’t effectively monitor outdoor noise.

3. Benefits of installing a noise alarm in a vacation rental villa

The Minut sensor allows you to monitor noise both in indoor and outdoor spaces. Weatherproof, it can be installed in your garden, terrace, or near your pool to ensure that all noise events are caught before they get a chance to escalate. And did you know that installing Minut only took about five minutes?

Thanks to its innovative Audio ID technology, the Minut sensor filters out background noise, such as wind or passing cars, to make sure you are only notified when you need to be.

With Minut, you can protect your vacation rental villa from unauthorized indoor and outdoor noise, excessive occupancy, and cigarette smoke – all through one device! Program your Minut sensor as you see fit, with your preferred silent hours and sound level thresholds.

4. How our customers use the Minut noise detector to prevent outdoor noise

At Minut, we help hosts protect their vacation rentals from unauthorized parties and cigarette smoke in over 100 countries. Our guests have successfully installed Minut devices to protect their outdoor spaces and communities in thousands of properties. Here a few ways in which you could use your sensor:

• Install Minut next to your pool area to pool-party-proof your rental, especially if your home is a desired location during the warmer months (such as our wonderful customers at Omaio).
• Monitor your garden or patio by attaching your Minut sensor to a wall adjacent to your main outdoor area.
• Prevent unwarranted complaints by proving whether noise did or did not occur in your rental properties, as our customers at MyGetaways do.

Just like in an apartment, a noise detector in a villa will help you become a better host and neighbor, so come visit our Minut website to get started!