What is the CPSC Elevator & Key safety guidance?

What is the CPSC?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an independent agency of the United States (US) government that is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. This can include everyday household products and equipment consumers come in contact with at any given point.

What is the CPSC Elevator guidance?

The CSPC has released an alert to promote the safety and continuous maintenance of elevators in rental properties. Key takeaways from the alert include:

Make sure that the gap between doors does not exceed the maximum depth as outlined by your local regulatory requirements
Have a qualified inspector examine your home elevator for this dangerous gap and other potential safety hazards
Dangerous gaps can be made safer by placing space guards on the back of the elevator or by installing an electric monitoring device that deactivates the elevator when a child is detected in the gap

What is the CPSC Key policy guidance?

As a vacation rental owner, you’ll appreciate that the entry coordination and key handoff is a critical aspect of keeping your rental secure and ensuring the safety of your guests. The recently published guidance by the CPSC aims to reduce the risk of unauthorized entry into a property while a stay is occurring. This suggests:

Owners should not leave a key with a third party that is not directly and regularly employed by the property owner. For example, a key should not be provided to someone providing a one-time or irregular service like a plumber, electrician, etc.
All employees with a copy of a key should be background checked prior to engaging in a professional relationship
For any third-parties that need to enter the house, the owner or property manager should be present to allow entry into the property

Why is this important for me?

The safety of our owners and travelers is of the utmost importance to us. As such, it is important that we create awareness and share any industry-related updates or guidance with you. This helps you keep your rental safe and ensures that travelers feel assured when booking your rental through our platform. Please be aware that as a vacation rental owner it is your responsibility to ensure that your local regulatory requirements are met.

Common Q&A’s

My rental is not in the US, does this apply to me?

We appreciate that the CPSC is a US-based agency, however, as a global platform we feel that it is necessary to share valuable information and guidance around critical issues, such as traveler safety, with our entire customer base. We hope that you find this useful and that it helps you learn more about safe practices and securing your rental.

I have a rental in the US but I am based elsewhere, does this apply to me?

If your rental is based in the US, it is important that you’re aware of any US-based legislation or regulatory requirement that may apply to your rental, regardless of where you are in the world.

I don’t have a lift/elevator in my rental/building - why are you contacting me?

The safety of our customers, owners and travelers alike, is very important to us so we want to ensure that we share any industry updates with our global community in an effort to promote safe practices, share valuable insights and reassure customers.

My rental is in an apartment complex, I don’t have control over this?

We understand that not everything is in your control. If your rental is in a complex with a shared elevator, we recommend you share this information with your building management or maintenance company to raise awareness and ensure that regular inspections are facilitated.

I have a property manager/cleaner with a key, is that a problem?

Not at all! We appreciate that it can take a village to run a successful business and that there may be multiple employees you trust with access to your rental. The key takeaway of this alert is to ensure that you only trust authorised parties and that any temporary workers or third parties should always be accompanied by yourself or an employee.

It is important that travelers feel safe in their “home away from home” and that safety precautions are taken accordingly.