Remember that heart-dropping moment of getting a call from a neighbor complaining about noise coming from your rental property? We’ve all been there.
That is why we, at Hospitable.com, were thrilled to introduce our hosts to Patrick Arata, Senior Director of Customer Experience at NoiseAware and our expert educator at the most recent Hospitable Hosts Masterclass.
Since 2015, NoiseAware has grown from a simple idea of “somehow preventing the parties” to a high-tech solution and a short-term rental advocate, working closely with local administrations. And boy, do they deliver – currently resolving 90% of noise issues remotely in under 30 minutes!
The secret ingredients of your business’ safety were shared during our Masterclass. Patrick shared his professional expertise on protecting a property without intruding on your guests’ privacy and covered everything from the benefits of noise monitoring to dealing with parties that already happened.
In short, this workshop turned out to be a must-attend for any host who wants to take their short-term rental game to the next level.
Missed the show live? Jump to the bottom of this blog to watch the full recording or buckle up as we bring you the best inspirational highlights below.
Tools matter!
Patrick kicked off by praising the ways modern technology help hosts with their daily property management duties. For him, it is the tech solutions that help you put your listing’s best qualities out there, vet the guests, and get the highest occupancy and the highest rates afterward:
“Devices like locks, like thermostats, and like noise monitoring devices… They’re going to give you insights into what’s going on at the property in real-time. This is what helps you optimize or even fully automate your front desk and your security staff.”
Today, both the devices and the analytical systems behind them are very smart. In the case of NoiseAware, it is the indoor and outdoor noise sensors that are on constant duty, analyzing what’s going on at your property. Patrick points out that hosts often underestimate the complexity of the algorithms that trigger the system’s response and send out automatic party warnings, trying to “test it out” by clapping or yelling in the mics. Which yields no result.
“Our microphones are taking thousands of samples every single minute. We’re looking for really dense, high levels of noise that are hard to mimic. If you really want to give it a go, try having some friends over. Crank up the sound system or really make it loud enough for more than just a couple of minutes to really get the full feel of how we’re measuring noise and just the types of events that we’re helping you prevent at your properties.”
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Monitoring vs privacy concerns
The “thousands of sound samples per minute” point makes the host feel much safer about the situation at the property. But how safe is your guests’ privacy, then?
The answer is very simple, in a sense. The device was simply not made to transmit audio files of any kind. So, there are no recorded snippets and no samples sent to any kind of server. The sensors work with the sound independently. On their own, they produce 100% legal calculations in your environment, locally, on the device itself.
“So, our sensor is not even capable of sending your audio anywhere. Instead, once a minute, it’s just sending a single packet of data, that’s smaller than the first email that was ever sent over the Internet. It’s just telling how loud it’s been in some basic stats and textual format.”
Indoor and outdoor safety
Patrick highlighted that outdoor monitoring devices are oftentimes as, if not even more, important as indoor sensors. The more common indoor monitor connects to a router and can track occupancy and count the number of devices on the property. In turn, the outdoor monitor is battery-powered and waterproof, designed to measure the noise levels outside the property.
When thinking about outside noises, Patrick suggested, that instead of putting the monitor on the property line, hosts better place it in activity zones, such as a patio or seating area. By measuring noise in all these areas, hosts can ensure they are under control, having the freedom and peace of mind about what’s going on inside, as well as outside of their property.
“Instead of having to go tit for tat on every little bit of noise, it allows you to prevent that bachelor party that you might not want to rent to. Now, when you’ve got something that helps you keep an eye on a property you can be like ‘Hey! We can’t allow these types of bookings and we’ll be able to control what’s going on!’ So, you keep things under control, knowing when guests are going over the limit.”
More on “noise awareness”
Curious to watch the full masterclass, as Patrick provides more insights on party prevention and other handy functions of noise monitoring systems, such as occupancy tracking?
Then rush to get the best tips from our renowned industry expert in our Hospitable Masterclass!
Already fixed yourself a high-tech noise monitoring device and want to earn reservations and generate additional income with even more automated solutions around you?
Hospitable is here to support a world where short-term hosting is just as carefree as simple property investment. Get your 14-day free trial now!