Advice about providing flashlights

[Rebecca1603]

I have a big yard with a firepit and not much light out there. To help guests for safety, I have a bunch of mini flashlights stocked inside. My problem is that guests keep losing them or “accidentally” taking them home. I have gone through 30 of them missing so far!! I’m trying to come up with ideas how to mark them so this doesn’t keep happening.  You know how at businesses they sometimes tape huge artificial flowers, etc, to their pens so you don’t accidentally pocket them after signing something? I need an idea like that, but I think it would be very inconvenient to tape something HUGE onto them because where I keep them, space is limited and people need to be able to see them and immediately know they are flashlights and not some crazy art project left behind. Any ideas?

[Ross869]

I would try to find some attachable motion sensor lights to the home or fence. That sounds like a nightmare to keep track of. Might save you some money as well. Or some of the solar powered walk way lights. Super cheap and they stay lit through out the night. 

[Rebecca1603]

Those are great ideas, and I so appreciate your advice! The only reason I have not invested in solar lights is because the yard is heavily tree covered. There is very little light to be able to recharge solar lights. No fence and a long steep pathway and over a small bridge over a stream to get to the fire pit.  And it’s out in a very rural area, so a motion light would be going off all night long every time a deer, skunk, raccoon, opossum, fox, turkey, etc walks around in the yard. I had a wildlife camera set up before I rented it out as an Airbnb and was amazed at the wildlife activity out there! A motion sensing light flashing on and off all night long would be very annoying for guests with bedroom windows that face the yard and for all the neighbors in view. I may have to just forgo the flashlights once they all disappear and tell people to just use their cell phones to light their way. Which is what a normal person would do I would think…but as I’m sure you have experienced, not all guests behave in a manor that I would call “normal” 😆

[Lorna170]

@Rebecca1603   My solution was to purchase a large Coleman camping lantern with rechargeable batteries and mark it with wide yellow write on tape with the name of the property.  This has not walked away in several years and has been useful when we have storms that knock out our power for a few hours.

[Mary1523]

We have a large rural property for big group booking, did exactly the same. A massive heavy big spotlight torch (batteries we change every few years as we found people forget to recharge) and it's never left home. (And I label everything that could be taken like bluetooth speaker, ketchup bottles etc because people just forget and think it might belong to someone in the group). Works a treat! (Oh, and we have a Welcome card with property name on it and a picture on it in case they do want a memory, that always seems to be taken with them)

[Guy991]

Consider rechargeable flashlights that have a wall plug-in. install them next to the exit door.
This way, your guests will remember to bring the flashlights back, and they are useless without their specific charger. It will be easier to spot when one is missing, and it will be easy to explain to the guests to return them to the specific charging place after usage.

I hope you won't need to buy flashlights anymore afterward.

[Alex1485]

Love the amenity @Rebecca1603 !

Turn this into an opportunity for a marketing give away to promote your property, best way for new customers is via referrals…  source out flashlights/ print your airbnb name of them..

We were successful using these strategies, on other items that were disappearing. . 

~ upsize the item

~ notated  on our checkout instructions

if you enjoyed our xyz, and want to take home as a reminder of your great stay…We will simply add the cost to your bill, process reimbursement via airbnb.  The costs of flashlight is  $35; the cost of y is……

@Guy991 had great idea via rechargeable…

~ We have 2 rechargeable items…  fan/ flashlight~ we do not have extra plugs/laundry area…so we keep the chargers in our “owners micro space” ; housekeeping recharges after each stay.. sourced from the tools section of hardware store..

[Emilia42]

@Rebecca1603 I would supply flashlights that aren't "mini." They should be big and chunky and get the job done but not desirable enough for guests to want to keep them.

[Terrie49]

Hi Rebecca,

I purchased a home with a pool and unfortunately didn't realize I had no outdoor lighting and no outlet to plug a light into it.  I didn't have time to hire an electrician before my first renter arrived so I went on Amazon and purchased the solar string lights and also a couple of hanging chandeliers and table top lamps.  They are super stylish and have been great for the space.  They are located in my screened porch adjacent to the pool and they work great.  Very affordable as well.  I hope this helps.

[Rebecca]

Hi @Rebecca1603 👋

You got some great suggestions from other Hosts here. Did any of them stand out to you, or did you implement any of them? If so, it'd be great if you can mark it as the 'best answer'. It's a great way to thank the Hosts that gave you some ideas and also other Hosts facing the same issues as you. 

[Craig-and-Lynne0]

@Rebecca1603 We are semi rural and it is dark at night...eg no street lighting

We have strung festoon lights between our house, (exterior power supply) thru the trees to the cottage.

They run  on a simple timer eg   pre dusk til midnight. They are LED weather proof globes.

Very pretty.. creating a bit of magic for guests.

We also have some hurricane lanterns we light to romanticise the venue when guests return from an evening out... and we recommend they turn on the cottage exterior lights when they go out.

[Margaret1350]

@Rebecca1603 How about some solar garden lights to light the way.