Would a Ring doorbell put you off a holiday let?

[LookWhosInsideAgain]

I became an accidental landlord a couple of years ago and rent out the house on Air BnB and a couple of other sites. The house is 6 bedroom and was originally two flats so I often get bookings from two family groups wanting to holiday together which is obviously great. Unfortunately a few weeks ago a booking that claimed to be a family group, and arrived as what seemed like a fairly normally family group, had actually decided to rent it for the weekend for a party. Luckily I live next door and soon realised as the day wore on that there were around 30 people in the house which I’m neither insured for and not what the group had agreed to.

I asked them to leave and after a bit of rudeness and a bit of help from my neighbours they did but they caused over £2k worth of damage and I had to cancel the following booking too as they’d smashed the oven. I know this is always a hazard with a holiday let but I’d hoped the fact that I make it very clear that I live next door would dissuade this kind of behaviour somewhat.

Anyway, I thought of maybe getting a Ring doorbell or similar, just so I can see who is actually going into the house. I don’t know if this would be something that would put people off though. It would only be pointed at the door itself and the driveway so they’d be no filming when guests are in the garden or house. I’m still not sure whether it seems a bit controlling though. Any thoughts?

Creepy that you want to see who's coming and going. What if someone wants to have someone over for a shag?

The local police recommended this. I have one. Many of my neighbours do. It is outside the front door not a private area. Do it!

Is it not best to just put a ring doorbell on your own door since you stay next door?

I've got a RING doorbell it's able to capture quite a lot of footage so when you open the door you can see inside your hallway. You also can capture the entire garden, next door and down the street.

You can hear all personal conversations too.

Ring doorbells are pretty standard so it wouldn't put me off.

I wouldn’t care. Currently on holiday in a villa we come to every year. A couple of years ago they installed external cameras after the villa was for broken into (not when we were here) I do not think for one minute they are sat watching us potter around the terrace or laying around in the sun! It’s for security.

Wouldn't worry me. Might make me feel safer actually.

We’ve stayed in a few places with a ring doorbell , never once considered it an issue . Mind I have one at home so maybe I’m used to ignoring it most of the time anyway .

I would not blame a property owner for having external security camera on a property that isn't occupied all the time. We have a Ring security camera not a doorbell which might seem less obtrusive?

I think it’s fine, but I imagine most people would just cover it.

I don't have one but all the ones I be seen are very small thin boxes, how do you cover them? Surely that would make the owner come round when they saw a black screen to fix it

I'd not thought too hard about it. If I saw 'property has Ring doorbell' on a listing I'm not sure it would bother me.

Any other suggestions on how to ensure that people don’t exceed the guest limit?
Rent it instead on an AST to people who need an actual home?

I’d be fine with this. Hotels have video security inside let alone outside.

We recently stayed in an Airbnb in the US where the owner was upfront about there being ring doorbells at the front and rear entrance to the property (just pointed at the door) and sound monitors in the property that didn’t record but were activated by excessive loud noise (I.e. parties).

The owner explained all of this to us and it didn’t bother us at all because we knew about it and because we weren’t planning on having any parties. If he hadn’t been up front about it, I probably would’ve worried there were other secret cameras but because he’d explained it it didn’t bother us at all

Yes it would put me off 100%

Is it obvious that it's a Ring doorbell? I've never seen one before and don't know what they look like, so I wonder if your guests would know its recording them. But then again that causes an issue if people don't realise. I think it's a bit much.

Yep it would put me off, I hate going to stay at my in-laws as they have one & comment on every move we make!

Yes it's very obvious. You wouldn't be allowed to just film people with informing them it's different when you are running a business.

I inherited a house that was previously two flats that had been combined by my relative who wanted live in carers but also privacy. I tried to sell but no one wants to buy a house of this layout that isn’t a “do-er upper”. I tried letting it out but no one wants to rent a 6 bed room house that has a very weird layout. It’s being used as a holiday let so that I can save up enough money to have it put back as two individual flats that can be sold. Although they will inevitably be bought as second homes as 90% of the houses round here are. Is that acceptable?

It’s pretty clear from the thread that they’re unpopular so I won’t be putting one in, but if someone did that then surely they’d realise the owner would just come round to find out what the matter was.

I’m only next door anyway so 90% of the time it will be obvious if they’re having a massive party/ smashing everything up. I’ve got a few trips away booked over the summer holidays though and it’s booked solid. Terrified of it happening again and not knowing about it.

I would welcome this. Would feel more secure whilst staying there.

Just call yourself a landlord. It doesn’t matter how it came about, that’s what you are.

I rent out a house I lived in for a couple of years - change of job meant I moved elsewhere but would have lost money selling. I’m a landlord. It wasn’t an accident. It was a deliberate choice.

Wouldn’t bother me.

If you are next door could you put a cctv camera up and point it in the other house direction and list as cctv for parking /drive?