The UK is known for having a trusted and high quality accommodation industry around the world, but this was recently questioned by the British Hospitality Association (BHA). They’ve issued warnings to home exchange websites, such as Airbnb, who've come under fire for not vetting the landlords who have property listings on their website enough.
The BHA isn’t just worried about fraudulent accounts either - concerns have also been sparked over fire regulations and gas boiler maintenance. These may be missed in private home rentals when mortgage requirements or tenancy agreements are more likely to be at the forefront of the property provider’s mind.
Traveller safety is something that property providers, agents, and travel management companies must all take into account whilst doing business and it’s being highlighted more and more within the serviced apartment sector.
As a property agent, SilverDoor attempts to visit and inspect as many properties as possible around the world to ensure the description given to us by the property provider is legitimate. We’ll also check aspects such as the neighbourhood, apartment accessibility, and even street lighting, along with all of the other health and safety aspects. This allows us to be honest about the serviced apartments we offer and enables us to retain the trust of our clients by ensuring their safety.
We’re constantly developing our health and safety questionnaire based on UK health and safety standards, which are known to be the best in the world. We’re also collaborating with the HBAA to try and develop a standardised health and safety check across the board. But it’s not just the physical safety of the traveller that needs to be addressed.
Customer data, especially in terms of customer payment, is something which needs to be dealt with carefully and securely. It’s important to use a trusted third party supplier to provide and secure the online payment process. This is so that the credit card information of clients isn’t retained on the system and is processed in a secure manner. Working towards a completely safe and secure environment, physically and digitally, in the serviced apartment sector has to be the priority of every company involved. Everyone must work together to standardise processes such as these where the clients’ best interests are priority. What are you doing to improve the security and safety of business travellers? Let us know in the comments section below.
Author: Beth Carr - Communications Support
