My biggest fear when hosting my place or staying in someone else’s place is bed bugs. What’s scarier is how quickly they can spread and how easy it is to bring them home. Even if you keep things clean and tidy, you can still transfer them. A big concern for a rental owner is preventing Bed Bugs in your rental.
When you’re renting your property or room out on a short-term rental platform, you’re opening your home to all manner of travellers from around the world. No matter if its via Airbnb, Vrbo or similar, bed bugs don’t discriminate. As such, all hosts on any platform will want to ensure they protect their rentals to prevent unhappy guests and a loss of bookings.
Being one step ahead
As bed bugs can spread so easily, a perfectly clean and respectable traveler can bring them to you without realising. With everyone jetting off around the world to stay in all manner of hotels with a lot of human traffic, we can all be unwitting transport for these little critters.
As the name suggests, bed bugs tend to make home in the bedroom. But they can actually live in any soft furnishings in your home as long as they can reliably feed on a host again and again.
This means high traffic areas such as the sofa and living areas are also at risk. I remember reading an absolute horror story about the passenger who realised on a flight that their economy seat was infested with bed bugs. By the end of the flight they’d been bitten alive! Gross!
By understanding bed bugs and their behaviour you can understand how to control and avoid them from ever taking hold. Who wants to burn the house down!?
Bed bugs avoid sunlight so will be more active at night. This is the time when they’re more likely to explore and feed on a host.
During the day, they’ll keep themselves hidden in the folds, seams and creases. This can be in a mattress and the in darker spaces in a room. By keeping these areas cleaned and protected you’ll greatly reduce the chances of bed bugs settling in.
Mattress protectors
The most common way bed bugs are transported is by a simple mistake that almost every traveler makes.
One of the first things travelers do when we arrive in our rooms is launch our suitcases on the bed. The height and convenience in the middle of the room makes it the perfect place to unpack. This gives bed bugs a change to crawl in…or crawl out. Because of this, the mattress (the main location of bed bugs) should be protected as a priority before your first guest arrives.
It amazes me how many rental properties I’ve visited where the mattress, pillows or duvet have practically zero protection.
In a rental, many different bodies are sleeping, drooling and perspiring over these fabrics. As such, a suitable cover is not an option, but a necessity both for longevity and hygiene. Who wants to sleep in a bed where the mattress or duvet is full of old stains!?
You can purchase mattress covers. These are not only waterproof but have double zippers to completely encase and protect a mattress from bed bugs. I use this and it’s easy to wipe clean and keeps the mattress completely stain free.
Pillow and Duvet Protectors
You can purchase anti-bed bug protectors for duvet covers and pillows. These seal completely and are easily washable.
Suitcase Racks
As a way to prevent suitcases from being put on the bed you can provide a suitcase rack in their room.
These can be folded out of the way between use. During a visit they enable your guest’s suitcase to be stored off the flooring whilst giving them a place to unpack.
Wash bed linens and towels on a high heat.
If you suspect bed bugs have been introduced when guest has left, washing at a higher temperature not only helps with stain removal but will also help eliminate bed bugs.
Remove clutter
Reducing clutter in the bedroom or removing unnecessary furniture will allow you to clean more effectively overall.
The same goes for furniture too. Only keep the basic furniture you need in the bedrooms. This will limit the number of hiding spaces and surfaces they can thrive in.
Opt for metal bed frames
As bed bugs love crevices and seams in fabrics, fabric and leather bed frames can be perfect homes for an infestation.
I wouldn’t worry if you already have a fabric or leather bed frame. It’s not worth replacing with a metal framed bed for this reason alone.
But if you need to purchase a bed for a rental and you think you could be at risk, you may want to consider opting for this sort of frame.
Provide hangers for guests
Providing guests with hangers will allow them to hang their clothing rather than folding them up or draping over furniture. Folded clothing on surfaces will give bed bugs a chance to transfer by giving access to the clothing or area the clothing is left on.
Wipe down skirting boards and vacuum edges.
Vacuuming along the edge of the carpet where it meets the wall will keep the corners and edge clean from dander and dust. Wiping over with a damp cloth and an antibacterial spray can help freshen the room. It also keeps these low flooring places clean.
Clean regularly
It goes without saying but a good level of regular cleaning should be carried out anyway. Generally, keeping on top of cleanliness across your property as normal will prevent any infestations.
Make a point of vacuuming the mattress thoroughly every so often as well as directly under and around the bed.
Vacuum other undisturbed places.
Vacuuming under the bed or under other furniture in the room thoroughly will help discourage bed bugs. If you suspect you may have an infestation, be sure to empty your vacuum regularly. It’s advised that you empty it each time you finish the room and start on the next one. This can help slow transferring the infestation to other rooms.
Bed bug treatment fluid
Should you notice signs of bed bugs, you can use several brands of sprays and treatments. These work perfectly fine to prevent and slow the continued spread.
I would use these as a temporary emergency measure to slow the growth of an infestation. In the mean time, calling a professional extermination company is the wisest idead. Whilst they do work, I wouldn’t rely on these sprays alone to treat the issue just to be safe.
If you do end up having an infestation, however small, you want to make sure a professional bed bug company eradicates it. If you don’t you’re more likely to have repeat flare ups of bed bugs.
Check any second-hand furniture thoroughly.
You can furnish a quirky Airbnb property very cheaply by sourcing second hand furniture to give it a unique look. If you’re looking to rent on Airbnb and need to furnish on a budget, Gumtree can be perfect.
It’s also possible that when preparing a room before you host you may want to add extra furniture. It also can make sense to buy good condition second hand items given that Airbnb properties will experience a higher rate of wear and tear.
If you want to buy second hand furnishings, be sure to check and clean them thoroughly. Look out for any signs of bugs including brown spots which could be trace of bug feces.
Summary
The bed bug scam is also a well-known Airbnb guest scam. Making sure you’re one step ahead and have taken precautions can help act as proof in this instance.
Staying one step ahead is the best way to prevent bed bugs. Remember, it’s so much easier to prevent ahead of time than it is to eradicate an infestation once it’s arrived.