Safety tips for partners
Tips to ensure that you and your property are protected
We take our partners' safety seriously at Booking.com. We strive to help you welcome high-quality guests: We have an in-depth security process that includes verification and fraud checks.
It’s always important to be prepared, and that’s why we also encourage you to take precautions for your personal safety as a host. Here are some tips to ensure your hosting experience goes smoothly.
Questions about hosting?
Our Partner Hub has answers to your most pressing questions. It covers everything from how to find reservation info to how to update your property’s availability. Through tutorials, guides, and videos, this platform is where you’ll find the help you need to manage your partnership with Booking.com.
Stay safe as a host
Set clear expectations
When you’re setting up your host profile, be clear and informative about the features of your property and its surrounding area. If you're renting out your private home, you may want to welcome guests on arrival and show them around.
Get to know who is coming
Use our messaging system to talk to your guests before their stays. This is an opportunity to give both you and your guests peace of mind and to provide extra info (e.g. how to check in). Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the number of guests coming, the purpose of their trip, or if it’s their first time renting a property. We strongly advise you to not give out your personal contact info to a guest until you meet – try to keep all communication within our platform.
Establish house rules
It’s smart to establish house rules that set standards for how you’d like guests to behave. Some common themes you can address include pets, smoking, parties, and noise. You can select these on the Extranet or leave a printed copy at your property.
Set your guest requirements
To make sure you receive genuine bookings, we require guests to provide a valid email address, credit card info, and to maintain a good track record for their stays. To give you more control over who can book your property, you can also set additional guest requirements on the Extranet.
Keep your guests safe
Here are some suggestions to prepare your property for your guests’ safety. Remember, you may need to take additional precautions depending on individual circumstances.
- Consult your local government or council to ask which safety standards need to be fulfilled.
- If you're renting out your home, inform your neighbors before accepting guests.
- Provide guests important local info like the phone numbers of emergency services and regulations on food and drinking water.
If you want to learn more about ensuring safety at your property, feel free to read our article about safety and emergency tips.
Fire and CO Prevention
- Make sure your emergency exit is visible, that there's nothing obstructing it, and that it's outlined in your property evacuation plan.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in an easily accessible place and check it regularly. Install smoke and CO detectors on all floors, and consider a sprinkler system.
- Make sure your gas stoves, water heaters, and other electricity appliances are regularly cleaned and checked. Also make sure the valve to shut off the gas is easily accessible.
Electrical safety and other hazards
- Cover unused electrical outlets with safety caps.
- Check your appliances regularly for faulty switches, plugs, or frayed cords.
- Replace cord and wires once they get old, and keep them uncovered, away from other items.
Childproofing
- Install child-safety locks and removable gates for doors, windows, drawers, appliances, and any falling hazards.
- Double-check banisters and railings of all stairs, balconies, porches, and walkways to ensure they’re sturdy and well-mounted.
- Provide your guests with contact info for local emergency rooms and pediatric centers.
Keep your property safe
Prepare your property
Put valuable or especially personal belongings in a safe place if you're renting out your private home. If you want additional reassurance that your property is protected and guest expectations are managed, you can also set up a damage deposit policy.
Check your insurance
The chances of guests damaging your property are extremely low, but it’s smart to insure yourself against the unexpected. Regular homeowner insurance doesn’t always cover short-term rentals to others, so contact your insurance provider to check if you need additional coverage.
Are you missing any info? /
Thanks for sharing
What info were you expecting to see on this page?
Thanks for sharing
Your feedback will help us improve this page for all our guests and partners.
Something went wrong – try again.
Keep your account safe
How to stay safe online
We're constantly evaluating online threats and strengthening our security to stay ahead. We use established security procedures to protect your Booking.com account.
As a user of our platform, you can also help us keep your accounts and identity protected by looking out for emails, texts, or WhatsApp messages that contain links and/or attachments, that ask you to sign in to your Booking.com account, or that require you to enter personal or financial info. Learn more about phishing.
Scammers may also try to gain access to your account info by phone or in person, a technique called social engineering.
If you ever notice suspicious activity, report it to us immediately.
Protect your account with 2FA
Enable 2FA on your account
2FA (2-factor authentication) adds an extra layer of security to your account. If your username and password are ever compromised, Booking.com will send a unique verification code to your mobile device, which must be submitted before granting access to your account.
Keep in mind that our partner service representatives will only ever ask you to share your property ID. Our partner service representatives will never ask you to provide the password of your Booking.com account or any sensitive financial info like your credit card number.
Want to learn more?
Check out our article How to prevent unauthorized use of your account to get more tips about safety.
What to do if something goes wrong
In the unlikely event that something goes wrong, we're here for you. We understand that sometimes you might want to solve your own problems, too. In this section, you'll find the guidelines to follow if an issue ever arises, as well as the steps we'll take to support you.
If something unexpected happens and you need assistance with a reservation, our partner service team is available to help you. They can be most effective if they're contacted while a guest is still staying at your property. However, your first step should be to contact the guest and try to resolve the issue in communication with them.
Guest misconduct
- Report it to law enforcement first. In case of abusive behavior from a guest—either verbal or physical—contact law enforcement officials immediately. Hold onto any police reports or other documents you receive, which could be helpful to your case in the future.
- Then report it to us. In the unlikely event of abusive behavior, guest misconduct, or other illegal activities, it’s important for us to know. Report it to us so we can help to protect you and our other partners in the future.
Keeping your damage deposit
If you already collected a damage deposit, you're within your rights to keep it when the damage is proven to have been caused by the guest.
Disaster relief efforts
We're always looking into new ways to support our partners and guests when things go wrong. Our team works with government officials and organizations around the world to support relief efforts on the ground.
Whenever there's a natural disaster or severe, security-related event, Booking.com will assess the impact the event has had on you as part of our crisis response. You can expect us to contact you to determine if you're okay and still able to welcome guests.
Are you missing any info? /
Thanks for sharing
What info were you expecting to see on this page?
Thanks for sharing
Your feedback will help us improve this page for all our guests and partners.
Something went wrong – try again.
