5. What Are the Contemporary Safety and Security Practices Used in Hotels and Home Shares?

This chapter reviews safety and security concerns specific to hotels and home shares and evaluates the practices used in each type of lodgsetting to address these concerns. This chapter includes a comprehensive table which offers a side-by-side comparison of the safety and security features found in hotels and home shares. This comparison shows that safety and security practices are far more robust in hotels as opposed to home shares. The safety and security features provided are ultimately commensurate with hotels’ legal obligations under statutes, regulations, or legal case law. For home shares, many of these features may be suggested but not required. Home-sharing companies are not legally obligated to make sure safety or security features are available in their hosts’ homes. Thus, users, whether host or guest, have primary responsibility for their own security and safety, especially as compared to hotels. This chapter closes with an exploration of the safety practices recommended by home-sharing companies, the obligation of home-sharing hosts and guests, and safety tips for travelers.