Canada: Guest-screening and verification provider, Autohost, has announced the launch of Autohost Starter Edition, its new pay-as-you-go platform designed to make guest screening affordable and accessible for single-property hosts and boutique property management companies.
Until now, the short-term rental industry has been built to accommodate property managers with larger portfolios, according to Autohost. For that reason, technology companies have created solutions to help operators manage their calendars, streamline the guest experience and protect their assets, but these solutions are often seen as inaccessible to single-property hosts and smaller-scale vacation rental businesses who lack the budget and resources to manage them.
In addition, platforms such as Airbnb have implemented initiatives and requirements – such as occupancy caps – to crack down on parties and risky reservations. Without a guest-screening solution, property managers are hard pressed to meet these requirements while a lack of proper security leaves short-term rentals vulnerable to other risks, including identity fraud, stolen credit cards and sex trafficking.
Autohost Starter Edition has been created to provide boutique businesses with the security tools they need to meet increasing and more stringent requirements while protecting their properties and managing their reputation.
Autohost Starter Edition supports:
- ID verification: Mitigating identity fraud risk by validating the guest’s government-issued ID
- Social checks: Verifying the guest’s identity by analysing their social media presence
- Sex offender searches: Checking whether the guest is listed on any sex offender databases
- Background checks: Performing a deeper historical analysis of the guest’s criminal history
- Credit history checks: Ensuring the guest has no history of poor financial habits
Through the Autohost platform, operators will now be able to manually run verifications on a per-reservation basis, identifying critical risk factors in each booking.
Roy Firestein, co-founder and CEO of Autohost, said: “Our mission is to make the hospitality industry a safer space for everyone in support of industry best practices and comprehensive security measures. With Autohost Starter Edition, we’re now able to offer critical security to an even broader audience, allowing all operators to reduce their risk and protect their guests, business and community alike.”
Meanwhile, for operators with more than 30 properties, Autohost Enterprise Edition automates the guest screening and check-in process through a seamless integration with property management systems [PMS] to support operations scale, seamless guest experience and stronger security.
