Vacation Rental Safety

Vacation rental safety is important for not only guests but for vacation rental owners in San Juan County. We have assembled these tips to be a resource to people who own and care for vacation rentals in the county.

  • Addressing                                                                                                                                                                                                        -Make sure that your address is visible and leads guests and emergency personnel to the correct location, include the address of your home in any materials  you leave at your vacation rental such as in your welcome book or house rules guide. This helps people know where they are in an emergency and helps emergency services to find them. 
  • Fire Extinguishers                                                                                                                                                                                             -Have a fire extinguisher on each floor of your vacation rental. We recommend 5lb ABC extinguishers and remember to mount them on a bracket because if it is on a bracket it will tend to stay there. If you must put an extinguisher in a cabinet, label the cabinet and make sure it is not in a place that will be hard to access if a stove top fire occurs.
  • Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Smoke Detectors                                                                                                                                                  -Have smoke detectors on all floors of your home as well as one in each sleeping room. Place carbon monoxide detectors in this fashion as well. Check batteries regularly and change them twice a year. 
  • Wood Stoves                                                                                                                                                                                                      -If a wood stove is present in your vacation rental leave detailed instructions on it's use for guests. Have a fire extinguisher near the wood stove and remember to have your chimney swept and inspected annually. Also, remind guests not to "damp down" the stove overnight as this produces incomplete combustion that causes build up in the chimney. 
  • Barbecues and Camp Fires                                                                                                                                                                              -Make sure that there is a hose present that can be turned on and reach barbecues and camp fire areas. Keep camp fire sizes manageable and we recommend using formal fire bowls or gravel/brick lined fire pits to prevent the spread of fire. Include instructions as to where to find/chop wood, remind guests to not burn trash, and to make sure fires are "dead out" (cool to the touch/doused with water) before leaving them unattended. If using propane barbecues, make sure they are maintained and that there is no damage to propane lines and grills are checked for excessive fat build up that can cause fires.
  • First Aid                                                                                                                                                                                                              -Having a first aid kit on site with some bleeding control supplies on site is a great idea. We live in an austere environment and having basic first aid supplies available is a gesture to consider for your guests. Place a tamper evident seal on the kit so it can be checked for use when cleaning up the rental.