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It’s very common for a vacation rental property to be equipped with an elevator; and in fact, it’s estimated that as many as 400,000 vacation rentals have them. Elevators are necessary at many residential facilities so that the property is easily accessible to everyone, and also add a level of convenience for transporting items or ascending multiple levels of a property or building. Unfortunately, while a necessary and permanent feature at many short-term rental properties, elevator safety has become a popular discussion point with the rise in elevator accidents.
Last year, the US Consumer Product Safety Council (USCPSC) started sharing notices regarding recalls of certain elevator types to help facilities managers become aware of any potential preexisting design flaws in their elevator systems. They are also warning consumers with home elevators, and those who visit homes with elevators, to be aware of a deadly gap that may exist between the elevator door and the exterior (i.e., hoistway) door inside the home. USCPSC's most recent notice in June pointed out tips for how to address these issues and help prevent these accidents in the future.
The good news is that these dangerous gaps can be eliminated by placing space guards on the back of the exterior hoistway door, or by installing an electronic monitoring device that deactivates the elevator when a child is detected in the gap.
In addition, our safety team at Breezeway recommends that signage be posted at vacation rental elevators to help educate renters on how to properly use that elevator, capacity limits, inspection details, and emergency information. This information can also help remind renters that elevators aren’t a toy and can be dangerous for unsupervised children.
Managers can also conduct annual inspections of the elevators in their rentals and keep documentation of each elevator type, when it was last serviced, and when its next service is due. Breezeway’s software is designed to help managers track these records to help ensure the safety of their properties and guests.
Watch this short elevator safety video to learn more.