ORANJESTAD – Recently, some acts of burglary committed in vacation rental properties caught attention, as did the fact that those responsible were caught. During the months in which the burglaries were taking place, the Vacation Rental Professionals of Aruba (VRPA) were aware of this and were working behind the curtain together with the Police Department to follow the steps of the burglars and help catch those responsible.
These incidents are regrettable since they affect our visitors, the owners of the properties, and in the end also our tourism in general, VRPA said in a press release.
The association said that the security of vacation rental properties is extremely important for the experience of the visitor. The fact that those responsible for the burglaries were caught must not rule out that there could be more people involved or that after some time they will continue with burglaries, so it is important to remain vigilant.
In the context of maintaining long-term security of the properties, VRPA gives some tips and advice for best practices for owners of vacation rentals as well as property managers. While each vacation rental has its own security needs, there are some important basic practices to prevent burglaries.
Light and motion detectors installation
Most burglaries take place at night or before dawn, since the darkness provides the burglars with better chances of hiding in the dark and avoid being seen. Light installations and motion detectors turn on lights and indicate that there is a person on the property, and can help make identifying the burglar easier. Motion detectors can also be installed indoors.
Vacation rental automation
Nowadays, many of the automation installations, “smart”, give you control of your property from an app in your phone, tablet or laptop. Be it lights or any electronic device, these can be programmed with a timer to be turned on or off. It is important that each programming, be it light or electronic device, has a different time in which it is turned on each day in order to avoid giving a pattern that can be deduced by the potential intruder.
‘Neighborhood watch’
For many years, different neighborhoods can be noted having a neighborhood watch. VRPA applauds the fact that neighbors organize as a neighborhood and have good communication for the security of every house in the area. Through a chat group, every neighbor has communication for any unusual development. Introduction of a neighborhood watch can help control burglaries. For vacation rentals, the group chat can be notified when there is a guest and how long they will be staying.
Security camera installation
Security cameras are essential for vacation rental properties. Installation of exterior cameras on a property, whether managed by a security company or by the owner of the property, gives the advantage of always having a view of the property. These days security cameras give the owner the option of receiving a notification on their smartphone for every movement or sound. There are also cameras that have the option of speaking or alerting the person to leave the property through your phone.
Another very efficient option is installing a ‘ring doorbell’. The ring doorbell is a smart doorbell that includes the installation of cameras that connect automatically with a phone and give live access when a person is in front of the house. All these installations give the owner of vacation rentals a chance to contact the police a lot faster to notify of any suspicious activity.
Insurance
An important aspect for vacation rental is also to have insurance for burglary. This certainly helps in case those properties are victim of burglary, and also gives guests a sense of security.
VRPA advices all companies that manage vacation rentals to carry out an analysis of each property and inform each owner on how to improve security of their property.
VRPA thanks the Police Force of Aruba for their great efforts and work solving these burglaries, as well as thanking the alert community. For the protection of vacation rentals and our tourism it is important to remain vigilant for any unusual activities, and if anyone notices something strange, contact police immediately as well as the company managing the property.
