VRMA Editor
Following the recent events associated with hurricanes Harvey and Irma, many of our members are asking the question: What does this mean next?
For vacation rental managers, there are some measures you can take to both help victims of natural disasters, and ensure you are best protected during the next event.
Oftentimes, in situations such as these it can be difficult to ensure which resources are the most accurate and credible. Here are a few to help in the aftermath of this event:
Guidelines for preparedness and communication with guests. Turn to www.ready.gov/hurricanes, which contains FEMA guidelines and template communication pieces to use for emergencies.
Clean-up after disasters, with business-specific information: https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage/prepare-emergencies-disaster-assistance
Health considerations post event: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/index.html
Adding a hurricane policy to your vacation rental agreement. Weather is out of your control, but your ability to appease guests in these situations is. Check out this resource from HomeAway, which details the options for adding a hurricane policy to your rental agreements.
Donate. VRMA does not officially advocate donating to one particular organization. Instead, we urge our members to donate to organizations that best align with you and your circumstances. Just a few of the organizations collecting donations for hurricane relief efforts include the American Red Cross and GlobalGiving. In addition, Charity Navigator has compiled a list of trusted charitable organizations that are involved in relief efforts.
