Fire Safety at Your Home Away from Home
Airbnb, Hotel and Motel Fire Safety
Vacations and business travel make hotels and motels our home away from home. It is just as important to be prepared and know what you would do in an Airbnb, Hotel, or Motel emergency as it is in your own home.
Peer-to-peer hospitality services, such as Airbnb, Vacation Rentals by Owner and other types of vacation rentals are not regulated in the same way as hotels. Requirements vary widely across jurisdictions. Act as your own safety advocate.
Window and Door Alert
Be on the lookout for rooms with tiny windows. These are too small to serve as a means of escape. Security bars on doors and windows can trap people in a fire. Make sure any security bars have quick-release devices. Tools, keys, or special efforts should not be needed to open them.
Airbnb Fire Safety Tips
Know before you go:
Since requirements vary widely across jurisdictions, do your homework before making a reservation. Check online to see your travel destination’s regulations for rental properties. Ask your host if the property meets the regulations. Discuss other safety concerns you may have. Check the forecast in case of storms that could cause power outages; assure the property has equipment (batteries, lanterns, etc.) in the event of a power outage. Be sure the following safety measures are addressed.
- Working smoke alarms are in every sleeping room. They are outside each separate sleeping area. They are on every level of the home.
- Working smoke alarms are interconnected, if possible. When one alarm sounds, they all sound.
- Portable fire extinguishers are in the home and are easy to reach.
- Working carbon monoxide alarms are outside each separate sleeping area. They are on every level of the home and in other locations as required by laws, codes, or standards.
- The owner has posted a floor plan. It notes all escape routes and exits and provides emergency contact information.
- Everyone knows the address of the home.
- Everyone staying in the home has identified two ways out of every room and how to escape in an emergency.
- All doors and windows that lead outside are able to be opened.
- An outside meeting place has been chosen. It is a safe distance away from the home.
- Everyone knows how to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from a cell phone from outside.
- If smoking is allowed, a smoking area has been designated and is well away from the structure. Deep, sturdy ashtrays have been provided.
- All pathways are free and clear of tripping hazards.
- Electrical outlets are free from multiple cords and adaptors.
- The stovetop is clear. Anything that can catch fire is not near the stovetop, such as curtains and towels.
Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Tips
Vacations and business travel make hotels and motels our home away from home. It is just as important to be prepared and know what you would do in a hotel/motel emergency as it is in your own home.
Be Safe When Traveling
- Choose a hotel/motel that is protected by both smoke alarms and a fire sprinkler system.
- When you check in, ask the front desk what the fire alarm sounds like.
- When you enter your room, review the escape plan posted in your room.
- Do not hang items on the sprinkler heads on the wall.
- Take the time to find the exits and count the number of doors between your room and the exit. Make sure the exits are unlocked. If they are locked, report it to management right away.
- Keep your room key by your bed and take it with you if there is a fire.
- If the alarm sounds, leave right away, closing all doors behind you. Use the stairs — never use elevators during a fire.
- If you must escape through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to your exit.
Source: National Fire Safety Association
