Burglar Alarm

[Kim5182]

Hi, our listing has a Vivint Home Security system. When the guest enters the house with their code, it disarms it and when they leave and they press the keypad button on the door it arms it. It does not arm during sleeping hours. I have instructions saying deadbolt the door at night. Do you use the burglar alarms on your properties during guests stays? 

[Rebecca]

Hi @Kim5182 👋

This is a great question and I haven't seen this pop up on the Community Center before, so thank you for asking it here. 

@Shady2, @Lamberto-and-Enrica0 and @Ryan4241 - do you have experience of intruder/burglar alarms in your listings? If so, what would you suggest to Kim? 

[Shady2]

Hi @Kim5182 

Great question, many hosts do use burglar alarms during guest stays, but it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

If you have a system like Vivint, it’s generally fine to allow guests to arm the system when they leave the property, and some hosts also provide an optional “stay” or “night” mode that guests can use while sleeping. The key is to make sure:

1. Instructions are very clear and simple
2. Guests are informed in advance that there is a security system
3. Any indoor cameras or recording devices are properly disclosed (if applicable)
4. The system doesn’t accidentally trigger during normal guest movement

Many hosts also include a note like:

“Feel free to arm the system when you leave or at night if you’d like extra security, totally optional.”

This keeps guests comfortable while still offering peace of mind.

It sounds like you’re already doing a great job by providing instructions and encouraging deadbolting at night, that’s a solid approach 👍

Shady Ibrahim