Use Case: Smoking Detection and Incident Reports

Sentry is currently the only smoke AND noise detection device that caters to the short-term rental industry. Recreational smoke is a major concern for property managers and owners, because the damage caused by smoking incidents leads to additional cleaning costs, negative customer reviews, impacts the host’s reputation, and can cause serious property damage.

We wanted to share this case study about a Sentry customer in the short-term rental industry who shared their experience with Sentry. For the purpose of this case study, let's call the property owner "Skye".

The Who

An out-of-state Airbnb owner faces consistent issues with guests smoking in their Washington rental property where marijuana is legal.  Despite having a strict no-smoking policy, Skye frequently receives complaints from guests about the smell of cigarettes and marijuana in the unit. When asked if they had ever filed a smoke claim with Airbnb in the past, Skye revealed that the platform had previously denied their claim due to a lack of evidence. 

“Yes, [Airbnb] wouldn’t approve it, because there was no evidence to back it.” 

This issue has occurred multiple times in the past, and in some cases has taken Skye months to eliminate the persistent smell left behind by smoking guests. In addition to the excess cleaning cost this has cost Skye, these incidents also negatively affected their Host ratings due to multiple reviews being left by guests stating that the unit reeks of cigarette or marijuana smoke after their stay.

The Research

Skye searched online for a solution to the persistent smoking issue at their Washington rental property, but the only companies that offered detectors for smoking catered to the enterprise level and were too costly. Skye discovered the WYND Sentry during its pre-order stage and decided to try Sentry to help address the smoking problem in their rental property. WYND Sentry is unique because it monitors both smoke and noise, and it's the first and only device of its kind in the market. 

The Results 

Within a few weeks of installing Sentry at their Airbnb property, Skye encountered a smoking incident that was caught by Sentry. After receiving the notification of the smoking incident, Skye reached out to the guest who made the reservation, who confirmed that the guest had been smoking marijuana on the property.

Following the guests' departure, Skye's cleaning team noticed a persistent smell of marijuana in the property, leading Skye to file a claim with the Airbnb Resolution Centre. Skye submitted the incident report from Sentry as photo evidence and requested compensation for the cost of the cleaner. Despite the guest denying the claim, Airbnb accepted the incident report and forced the guest to pay. Skye shared that the claim process was really easy and that since then, they had also received Superhost status on Airbnb.

Final Thoughts

Skye shared that they are checking their Sentry dashboard often to actively monitor their property. They also shared that their concerns were not only due to their own house rules but due to the fact that property owners also have to worry about guests violating Condo Association Rules and Bylaws. With Sentry, Skye is assured that they have peace of mind knowing that they can actively monitor their property, and have incident reports to save as proof for claims.  

The incident reports generated by Sentry are helpful to provide proof for claims, especially since the owner has had customers smoking in the past despite having non-smoking signs and house rules. Skye emphasizes that they’ve had a positive experience with Sentry and will be purchasing another device for their next property.

“As soon as I buy my second condo in 6 months, I’ll be buying another [Sentry]”

In addition, as a member of the board of directors for their own condo, Skye shared that they will also be buying more Sentry devices for common areas such as the fitness center and laundry room, which are problem areas.

In conclusion, Sentry has proven to be an effective solution for property owners and managers in the short-term rental industry, particularly when it comes to detecting smoking incidents and providing valuable incident reports for claims. The case study of Skye, an Airbnb owner, demonstrates how Sentry can help mitigate the negative impact of smoking incidents on property managers' reputations, reviews, and expenses. Sentry's ability to monitor both smoke and noise levels sets it apart from other smoking detectors in the market, and its incident reports can provide concrete evidence for insurance claims.