When a large number of people gather at a rental property, bad things can happen. In our first post, we discussed how large numbers of people can create real parking, traffic, and congestion problems for neighbors and Operators. While these typically are nuisances, sometimes partygoers perpetrate significant crimes.
Criminal activities can be minor or, unfortunately, major and may create havoc in your short-term rental business. Major criminal activities can include violence such as fights, shootings, and stabbings, and they seem to have escalated during COVID. One of the most well-known examples of violence at short-term rentals was the horrific 2019 Halloween shootout in Orinda, California. Over 100 people gathered at the party, and when the noise became too loud, police were called. Unfortunately the police arrived too late, and five people died. Over the last two years, large gatherings have ended in shootouts, stabbings, and fights around the world — as experienced again just this month in Sunnyvale and Dallas.
Other major criminal activities that occur during large gatherings are vandalism and theft of property. Property damage can be extensive and require weeks of repair. This means that you not only have to pay for the damages to be repaired, you also lose income when the property is not rentable. The earlier the party is stopped, the less damage can be inflicted on your rental. Recently we blogged about an incident in Ireland and another disaster in Perth, Australia, where tens of thousands of dollars of damage was inflicted on the properties.
Other criminal activities at a party range from simple littering, to using the bushes as overflow restrooms, to rampant drug usage and dealing, and sometimes even prostitution.
While large gatherings sometimes coincide with loud music, oftentimes they do not.
Party Squasher is designed to understand when large gatherings are starting, enabling you to take swift action to stop them before the criminal activities cause the most damage.
