In the unfortunate event that a guest dies in your vacation rental the first step you should take is to notify the company who the guest rented through and your insurance company. Next, if possible, find out from the First Responders whether there are any Bio Hazards present. If it happens to be a high profile death be sure to change all lock box codes and secure any valuable items in the home. This can be a hot bed for crooks.
If there are Bio Hazards present it would be best to call in a professional clean up company like Bio-One Inc.www.bioonecherokeecounty.com. When the professionals arrive they will take detailed pictures for you to present to the rental company and your insurance company. They will also document what areas of the home have Bio Hazards present.
Any items left behind by the deceased need to be catalogued and bagged for family. It is advisable to have a third party there to take pictures prior to removing these items.
Once your rental property has been properly cleaned and all affected items disposed of in a safe manner, you should be able to re-enter the home. At this point your home should be available for new renters.
It is important to keep all receipts and information provided to you from the First Responders and Bio-One. Submit these items to the rental company and your insurance company in a timely manner. Typically they will work out the dispursments between themselves. If you missed out on rental fees due to the clean up, you can request reimbursement from the rental company. You may also keep any deposits to cover missed rental opportunities or unexpected charges.
The key is to stay on top of things. Documentation and pictures are a must. You will find trusting professionals like Bio-One will ensure that all potential hazards are eliminated.
Written by Becca Phillips owner Bio-One Cherokee County. This is in no way legal advise. You may want to seek legal counsel in this type of situation.
