For an increasing number of vacation rental hosts, the fallout of not having a smart monitoring device installed is proving to be worse than the cost of not having one. Especially since summer last year, when unauthorized parties were picking up steam, it has become clear that smart monitoring devices such as NoiseAware can bring hosts peace of mind and assure better implementation of occupancy and noise regulations.
We had a chat with their Business Development Director Michael Goldin about how NoiseAware goes beyond providing monitoring devices to aid vacation rental owners and property managers in coexisting genially with the rest of the community.
Could you introduce NoiseAware and what you do at the company?
NoiseAware is the leader in smart noise monitoring and the only company that also helps manage any potential problems before they result in damage to the property, annoyed neighbors, fines, lost rental days, or bad regulation. Everyone (should) have property insurance for their STRs. Now property managers are discovering that for a fraction of the cost, they too can have Property Assurance!
I lead NoiseAware’s business development which encompasses a little bit of everything. I lead the relationships with OTA’s, collaborate with cities on reasonable/responsible regulation, develop partnerships with key industry vendors like Operto, Futurestay, and Breezeway, and drive noise monitoring into new segments of hospitality like flexible rentals.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic increased the needs of hosts and property managers for smart noise monitoring solutions?
We’ve seen a large uptick in the use of NoiseAware since the pandemic hit. The first few months were slow, but as people started to travel again chaos ensued. We saw noise events and party levels almost 2x higher than years prior. People are more sensitive to noise now that people are working from home, yet people are itching to blow off steam. STRs just happen to be an easy place to do that… unless you have NoiseAware.
Once a host has a problem in one property, they realize that a small investment in NoiseAware can prevent a big hassle and expense, so often one problem leads to hosts installing NoiseAware in all their properties. We get as much praise for the peace of mind it gives them as for the protection.
Your company provides more than devices. For instance, you have a service called NightAgent. What does it consist of? What other services do you offer?
Everyone who is reading this is in the hospitality business, so it’s important to ensure all stakeholders have a positive experience with NoiseAware. Our value to homeowners/property managers is clear– we make it possible for STRs to co-exist with the rest of the community. For travelers who overstep their bounds, it’s important to keep that touch of hospitality and send a cordial, non-accusatory note reminding them of the rules. This is the service our NightAgent team handles on many of our customers’ behalfs.
We also help with install, maintenance, guest messaging and more – installation, guest education, problem resolution. Our goal is to give our customers one less thing to worry about during that critical period between check-in and check-out.
How does NoiseAware approach the European market? What are the key differences and similarities between North America and Europe for a company like yours?
In many ways North America and Europe are similar, but there are many ways they are quite different. In Europe, flats, condos, and apartments are much more common than in the US where a large part of STR’s are single-family homes. Any time walls are shared with a long-term resident, managing noise levels is especially crucial. NoiseAware is fully compliant with GDPR and the only product developed specifically for STR’s, so we don’t record, transmit or stream any audio.
We’ve been quietly running a beta for a while with hundreds of properties and the results have been amazing. That said, I’m super excited to formally announce our launch into the UK market and several EU countries with more to come! For more information, reach out to Stewart White at [email protected].
Why did NoiseAware decide to be a VRWS sponsor this year again?
VRWS is consistently the best STR event of the year bringing top-notch PMs and Vendors to an intimate event in an amazing location. We’ve sponsored for 3 years now and will continue to return and support any event Antonio holds in the future.
You can find the NoiseAware team at the 2021 edition of the Vacation Rental World Summit. If you haven’t already secured your tickets, you can do so now at 50% off here.
