Single source of information relating to everything regarding Guest-Vetting & Security
Security Checks
First-time bookers on Hometime DBS are required to complete a 3DS security check on their payment card. This adds an extra step of verification that guests must complete in order to book your property. The 3DS security check involves a one-time PIN being sent to the guest’s mobile via their credit card company or bank. They must then input this PIN in order to pay and reserve their booking. This ensures that guests that are booking your property are who they say they are and significantly reduces the likelihood of fraudulent transactions that can result in cancelled bookings or poor-quality guests staying at your property.
For Booking.com and Vrbo, we have introduced additional security measures through our payment processing software such as CVC code requirements, as well as postcode verification prior to a guest’s reservation being accepted. If the guest’s postcode is linked to the card and their personal details are not input correctly, the payment will be rejected.
Vrbo and Booking.com also conduct their own guest identification and fraud verification checks prior to guests making reservations.
Security Deposits
For all booking platforms outside of Airbnb (ie Hometime DBS, Booking.com and Vrbo), guests will be required to pay a security deposit which will be held for 7 days. The security deposit is a fund that Hometime can draw on and charge the guest to reimburse homeowners if any damages or issues occur at your property.
Hosting Partner
We have introduced a 2-day advanced booking window requirement for all Booking.com and Vrbo reservations, meaning we do not allow last-minute bookings as we do on Airbnb. This allows our Hosting Partners 48 hours to conduct due diligence on the prospective guests and vet their suitability before staying at your property.
As part of this guest-vetting, your Hosting Partner will ensure that the guests have read and agreed to the ‘House Rules’ for your property. Guests will also need to answer a series of questions relating to their stay and the purpose of their trip. This will allow your Hosting Partner to make an informed decision on whether these guests are suitable to stay at your property, or whether the booking should be cancelled.
Failed Payments
To ensure that guests have paid for their booking prior to arrival, we have introduced a failed payment policy for Booking.com and Vrbo reservations. Hometime’s Finance Team will attempt to charge the guest’s payment card up to 4 times prior to their stay. After 4 unsuccessful attempts, the reservation will be cancelled.
Landlord Insurance
Finally, we always recommend that our homeowners have appropriate landlord insurance coverage for their 2property, irrespective of the expansion to multi-channel. Hometime will do everything in our power to assist you in the event of damages, stolen items or mishaps that inevitably occur from time to time in the short-term rental market. However, having a final safety net of landlord insurance can provide extra piece of mind and is highly recommended.