Pandemic or not, emergencies can arise at a rental home anytime. With minimal effort, vacation rental hosts can make a critical difference in helping save a guest’s life.
A Landline Could Be a Lifeline
There are a number of compelling reasons to provide a landline in your rental home. For starters, although cell service on the Cape and Islands has improved considerably, it’s still not 100% reliable, particularly in certain “dead spots.” And cell phones are always running out of batteries!
Although a landline adds to your Comcast bill, the bundled cost isn’t very high. You can choose a local area measured service, which is less expensive than a regular line and blocks long distance calls while allowing local and emergency ones. Some homeowners even mention in their leases that local and emergency phone service is provided, but the tenant must agree to either use their cell phones for calls outside of the area or agree to pay any additional charges.
When 911 is dialed from land line, the caller is directly connected to the call center, and their exact location is automatically provided. This is important if the caller is unable to speak or to provide the exact location of the home because they are a child or visitor. Naturally, even an adult is bound to be under a lot of stress when making a 911 call.
Reminding them of their location
Whether you provide a land line for your guests or not, it’s very important to post the exact address and/or location of your rental property. So, post your location and any special directions to the house in an obvious place where they can’t be missed in an emergency. You should have your own phone number there for emergencies as well.
First Aid Kits
It’s a good idea to provide your guests with a basic first aid kit of some kind. But store it in a place not easily accessible to young children.
Here are some items to include:
• BandAids of different sizes
• A roll of gauze
• Sterile pads
• Antibiotic ointment
• Adhesive tape
• Aspirin
• Ibuprofen and/or acetaminophen
• Tecnu (for poison ivy)
• Antacids
With all the effort you put into making your home beautiful, clean, and comfortable, don’t forget to also provide the lifelines needed to assure your guests’ safety.
About Elizabeth Weedon: I worked for WeNeedaVacation from 2008 until I retired in 2023. I was also one of the first vacation rental owners on the site in early 1998, when I managed my family’s Vineyard rental home. An enthusiastic member of the support staff, I provided fellow Cape and Islands vacation rental owners with advice about online marketing and rental management techniques. I created and edited much of the content on the website, as well as blogs posts and monthly newsletters. I now live on Martha’s Vineyard full time with my family.