Guests are leaving doors open, Is there a door alert sensor?

[Terri263]

We have in our House rules that the doors need to be kept closed during their stay. It seems living on the river they enjoy the view of the river and the mountain and like all doors to be wide-open. This poses a problem when rattlesnakes, bats, muskrats and other rodents could enter the home.

In our area is just not advisable to leave your garage door open or a Rattlesnake could enter and give you a nice surprise (an experience a neighbor had). We’ve had guests leave the doors open when it’s 105 outside and then call and complain that the AC can’t keep up. Just this week we had someone leave two doors wide open to the back of the house and  the outside temperature was 36°.  We now have cameras on exterior doors to limit liability.

Does anyone have knowledge of a door left open alert that will send a message to my smart phone?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Terri263 I would suggest that you put sensors on the doors that cut the aircon when they are open. This will perhaps enable you to remove the cameras which have already generated a negative review.

[Melodie-And-John0]

Hi @Terri263 , maybe a rubber rattlesnake tossed in the door would get their attention?   Actually, I would hang a small sign in the inside of the door warning of critters and remind them about the nature of mother nature in your area it in the house rules.    Good luck!   JR

[Suzanne302]

@Terri263 I bet there's a type of sensor out there that will just continue to beep until the door is closed. Like when you get in the car and if you or your passenger don't put seat belts on before the car starts moving you get a constant reminder (via a constant annoying beep beep beep) to put it on?

[Melodie-And-John0 · Accepted solution]

@Suzanne302 , there are many types out there and seeing as how @Terri263 already has cameras, it might be a good idea to just combine the whole deal with an alarm system and add an open door senor to it.   Let the alarm do the warning and then it wouldnt feel like the host was peeping.  Also, an automatic door closer without a stop on it could help.  JR 

[Suzanne302]

@Melodie-And-John0  Well thanks for the mansplainin'! So it's your opinion that my suggestion is the wrong way to go? That's fine! But just scroll on by instead of being a **bleep**. Because, your response to my suggestion was a total **bleep** move.

PS - People like YOU are the reason I stopped coming to the CC so often.

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Suzanne302, that was a totally off the charts wrong, i wasn't disrespectful in any way, not sure what you heard but it wasnt what I wrote!  Also,   I wasn't mansplaining anything, I just happen to design and install systems of these sorts for a living (35 years) as well as being a Airbnb host that can relate to guests not closing the door and trying to heat upstate NY with our boiler or let coyotes wander the hacienda . 

And, I was actually agreeing with you that the sensors your saying actually do exist BTW (at least 50 different types, all with different mounting, power, configuration and communications protocols but to get the flex of being warned remotely the door is not closed even after the guest is down the road and/ or just plain security for a space that the owner doesn't co-occupy, an alarm system would tie sensors, them, the cameras and any DVR functions together in a nice tidy package that looks and acts more like a positive feature for owner and guests than an add on that doesn't work with other pieces of like equipment. 

BTW, bleeping at folks on the CC isnt really necessary either, just sayin...

[Brian2261]

@Melodie-And-John0 

We have just started hosting on airbnb and I was reading that you had 35 years of experience with alarms. I was wondering if you might be able to direct me in the right area for some help. We have an old school alarm on our home, all wired sensors. My question is should see if we can adapt a wifi controller on it? or should we scrap it and start over? either way what do you recommend? thanks Brian 

[Colleen253]

@Terri263  Do you have a conversation with guests about this issue beforehand? Since it’s so important, you might make specific mention of it. Many guests inadvertently overlook the well hidden unique house rules and may be unaware. You could also put a reminder sign on the door so everyone at the house is aware. Reaching out to guests once they’re in your place, by responding to door open alerts and camera footage is not ideal, and will only lead to more negative comments in reviews, like the one you’ve received already. 

If a guest complains to Airbnb about security cameras at your listing, your listing will be suspended while trust and safety ‘investigate’. This has happened to many hosts, even when the cameras are fully disclosed in the house rules. Yours aren’t disclosed there, so you should do that.

[Anthony608]

Do you have screen doors?  if its a nice view and a nice day outside, I wouldn't blame a guest for opening the inner door and looking out through the screen.  With no screen, then yes the doors should stay shut since animals absolutely can enter the home.

[Kendra114]

Same problem. I use YoLink door sensors.