Airbnb today released safety tips for Michigan hosts and guests getting ready to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday. This weekend will represent the largest surge of statewide travel activity to Michigan in the history of Airbnb’s platform.
Whether you’re an experienced Airbnb traveler, a seasoned host, or celebrating the holiday with a large group of friends or family, safety should always be a top priority. Hosting on Airbnb is a big responsibility and so is staying in someone’s home as a guest, particularly with a big group. It’s also important to keep these tips in mind if you’re participating in one of the 40,000 Airbnb Experiences offered — whether it’s paddle boarding, a cooking class, surfing and more.
With that in mind, Airbnb is providing the following safety tips to help ensure the holiday is a success for hosts and guests alike.
For Michiganders traveling via Airbnb during the 4th of July →
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Add Additional Guests to Your Reservation: Traveling as a group? If so, be sure to add other members of your party to your itinerary. You’ll only be able to add guests up to the total number that you originally set in your booking request, and if you expect more guests might join, it’s important that you communicate this in advance to your host.
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Include an Emergency Contact: Though negative incidents are incredibly rare, adding an emergency contact to your account is easy to do and helps our Community Support team contact your designated contact in the event of an emergency.
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Communicate Your Plans in Advance With Your Host: The Fourth of July is a great time to grill out, enjoy fireworks, and celebrate with friends and family. If your Airbnb listing has a grill, take a moment to communicate with your host on how to use it, clean it, and stay safe while your barbeque. And if you’re planning to use fireworks, ask your host in advance if that is permissible and be sure to familiarize yourself with local laws beforehand.
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Be Respectful of Your Neighbors: We know the holiday is a time to celebrate and have fun, but it’s important to be respectful of neighbors and members of the community. Be sure to check out your listing’s House Rules for things like quiet hours, rules around playing music, etc in order to ensure a seamless trip.
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Check Out Water Safety Tips: Whether you’re planning to swim in the pool, ocean, or lake — take time to read up on local water safety tips, as every body of water is different. An accidental drowning can happen in a matter of seconds, so adults should always be fully focused when supervising children who are in or near any body of water. Read more about the importance of water safety here
For Michiganders hosting on Airbnb during the 4th of July →
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Keep Safety Info & Equipment Handy: It’s important that hosts to equip their homes and guests with the safety essentials guests might need in the event of an emergency. This includes things like a working smoke and carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, and a first aid kit.
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Get to Know Guests in Advance: Our secure messaging tool gives hosts the chance to get to know guests and answer or ask any questions that come up before or during the trip. Messaging is also a great place to coordinate things like check-in or provide local recommendations, as some guests will be experiencing Michigan for the first time. Hosts should strive to find out specifically what’s bringing their guests to Michigan and use that information to provide the most personable and safe experience possible.
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Set Clear Expectations: Listing descriptions should let potential guests know about the unique features and amenities of the home. Even small details like the number of flights of stairs to the front door or how to properly turn on the hottub can help make sure guests enjoy their time. Hosts can also outline specific expectations in their house rules. Outlining quiet hours will be particularly important during the holiday celebrations, as many guests will be watching the fireworks or attending events downtown that could have them getting back on the later side.
For all Michigan Airbnb users →
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If Anything Isn’t Right, Reach Out: In the rare event that an issue should arise, our team is available 24/7 in 11 languages to support hosts and guests in Michigan. We offer things like rebooking assistance, refunds, reimbursements, our $1 million USD Host Guarantee, and Host Protection Insurance program to help make things right.
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Always Communicate Through the Platform — Never Offline: Bad actors may try to take advantage of the surge in activity during popular travel times likes this by luring people into offline scams where Airbnb can no longer monitor or protect hosts. Hosts and guests can help protect themselves from these scams by staying on the Airbnb platform throughout the entire process — from communication, to booking, to payment.
