Host access to rented basement

[Ryan1762]

Hello,

What would happen if you rented out an entire finished basement with a family room, bedroom, and bathroom, but needed access to the furnace, fuse boxes, water heater, pipes, etc. and didn't have a separate host-only entrance to that area? How would a host be able to access these in the rare instances that something goes wrong?

Thanks!

[Sarah977]

@Ryan1762  As you say, it would be rare if you needed to access these areas during a guest's stay, and it doesn't seem much different than a host having to enter an entire house or apartment listing if there was a problem with the water heater or the furnace. For something like once-a-year maintenance, of course,

you'd need to block off days that would happen on your calendar so someone couldn't book for that day.

I'd just make mention of it in the listing- that if there were an emergency situation, you'd need to access those areas. And if you did need to go in there, texting or messaging the guest first would be the appropriate thing to do, unless it was a true emergency.

[Paul154]

Very carefully. 

Except in dire emergency (burst water pipe, fire, leak...) you must negogiate entry.. Ask if you can 

enter to flip the circuit breaker.  

The good thing about STR is oftentimes, I can postpone maintianence until after guest leaves.

[Helen350]

@Ryan1762 If you were in the UK, you'd just go in, - your house, - your right of entry, but the CC has taught me that Americans view things very differently....

[Mark116]

@Ryan1762   If you did not need to go into these areas except in times of emergency, I think you would be okay to rent it as an 'entire apartment' as long as you put in a caveat that the home's electrical and plumbing infrastructure is located in this same area and that in case of an emergency hosts would need to gain access.  Then you would/should reiterate this to all your guests, and should an accident happen, message them, and leave maybe a 1 to 2 hour time for them to agree to give you entrance, unless it is REALLY a crazy emergency and then message them and tell them 'we're going into the space for XYZ due to emergency.  You might also add to the acknowledgment section that 'some spaces are shared' but I can't remember how that is worded and if it would cover this contingency.