Good shortlet security comes down to six habits. Know who is coming. Control your keys and codes. Work with your estate. Set house rules that keep people safe. Help quickly during the stay. And check the home after every guest.
These short let property management tips are for Nigerian hosts. They protect your home, your guests and your neighbours, and they keep your estate happy to have you.
Know who is coming
It is easier to keep a home safe when you know who is coming. Before anyone arrives, find out:
- Who is booking. A full name, and whether they are the person staying.
- How many people. Count children too. Overnight visitors are guests.
- What the stay is for. A work trip is different from a birthday weekend.
- Their ID. A passport, driving licence or national ID card. Say you will ask for it in your listing, before they book.
Watch for warning signs:
- someone booking for another person who will not share any details;
- pressure to skip your rules, or to pay in cash at the door;
- a guest who refuses ID after agreeing to your terms;
- a large group asking about parking and music before anything else.
You can still say no. A polite no before a stay is far better than a problem during one. Keep a short note of each guest, the dates and the number of people, so you can look back if anything happens later.
On Cabans, every guest pays online through Paystack before a request reaches you. You see the guest's name on each booking, and “Booked by a business” when a company books. Set “Maximum guests” in your booking rules, and guests cannot book for more people than you allow.
To ask for ID, tick “Guests must upload an ID” on your “Stay information” page. Only you and the Cabans team can see it. ID documents are kept securely for up to 6 years, as data laws require, and then deleted. Asking shortlet guests for ID explains how to do it fairly.
Codes, keys and gates
A key or code that never changes is a key that anyone could copy. Keep control of every way in.
- Change the door code after every guest. Also change it when a cleaner or caretaker leaves your team.
- Use a lock you can change yourself, such as a keypad lock or a lock box.
- Number your keys and count them at every check-out.
- Keep a spare set with someone you trust nearby.
- Share codes late. Send them close to arrival, only to the guest you checked.
- Change the Wi-Fi password now and then, too.
- Explain the gate. Tell guests how the estate gate works, and tell the gate who is coming.
On Cabans, you type the door code and Wi-Fi password on the “Stay information” page. They are stored encrypted and never emailed. Check-in has two steps: “Hand over keys”, then “Approve check-in”. The guest sees the codes only after you approve the check-in.
Codes hide again a minute after each tap. They stop showing when you confirm the check-out, and never later than 2 hours after the check-out time. Cabans does not connect to smart locks, so change the code on the lock first, then update it on the page. How to add house rules, arrival steps, door code and Wi-Fi shows each box, and door codes and smart locks helps you choose a lock.
Neighbours and estate security
Your estate's guards and your neighbours are part of your security. Keep them on your side.
- Know your estate's rules on visitors, parking, noise and short stays. Some estates or landlords restrict shortlets. Ask the estate office before you start.
- Register each guest with the gate: names, dates and car number if they have one.
- Give security your number, and the number of a caretaker who can come quickly.
- Introduce yourself to close neighbours. Give them a number to call about noise or trouble.
- Light the way in. The gate, the parking area and the front door should be well lit at night.
- Cameras outside only. If you have any at the gate or the car park, say so in your listing. Never put a camera inside the home.
Renting the flat yourself? Check your tenancy first. Can I turn my flat into a shortlet? covers landlord and estate permission.
House rules that keep people safe
Safety rules are the ones that matter most. Keep them short and clear:
- Guest numbers. The most people who may stay, and whether visitors may stay the night.
- Parties. No parties, or clear rules for small gatherings. See party requests at your shortlet.
- The generator. Guests never refuel or move it. It stays outside, away from doors and windows, because its fumes can kill.
- Gas. How to turn off the cylinder. If guests smell gas, they turn it off, open the windows, go outside and call you.
- Fire. Where the fire extinguisher, smoke alarm and first-aid kit are. Check they work before each stay.
- Emergency numbers. 112 for emergencies in Nigeria, your estate security and your own number.
- Locking up. Lock the doors and windows when going out and at night.
The shortlet house rules template has wording you can copy. Put your arrival steps with them: a check-in instructions template helps.
On Cabans, write your rules in “House rules” on the “Stay information” page, and your arrival steps in “Arrival and check-in instructions”. Guests see both in their stay guide once the booking is confirmed. Keep the key rules in your listing description too, so guests read them before they book.
Keeping guests safe inside the home
Guest safety is part of shortlet security too. A guest who is hurt in your home is a disaster for them and for you. Walk through the home once a month with fresh eyes:
- Locks. Every outside door and window locks properly, and the burglar bars are sound.
- Wiring. No loose sockets, bare wires or overloaded extension boards. Get an electrician to check anything that sparks or smells.
- Power cuts. Leave a rechargeable lamp or torch where guests can find it in the dark.
- Gas. Check the cylinder, the hose and the regulator for leaks and wear.
- Balconies and stairs. Railings are firm, and stairs are lit at night.
- Water. The water heater is set to a safe temperature, and any pool has clear rules for children.
- First aid. A stocked kit, and a fire extinguisher that is in date.
Write down the date of each check. If something ever goes wrong, a record shows you took care.
Protecting what is inside
Things can still go missing, often by mistake. Make it easy to spot:
- Keep an inventory. A simple list of what is in each room, with photos: TVs, remotes, kitchen items, towels and linen.
- Note serial numbers of TVs, decoders and routers.
- Lock away your own things in a closet guests cannot open, and say so in your listing.
- Take valuables out. Jewellery, documents and cash do not belong in a shortlet.
- Check the inventory at every turnover, not once a month.
An inventory also helps guests. When the list says two remotes, nobody argues later about how many there were.
Help during the stay
A guest who cannot reach you when the power fails may try to fix it alone. That is when accidents happen. Be easy to reach.
- Answer quickly. Keep your phone on, or share the job with a caretaker.
- Give a backup contact for when you cannot answer.
- Explain the power setup: generator hours, what the inverter can carry, and how the prepaid meter works.
- Visit only when agreed. Never enter while guests are staying, unless it is an emergency, and tell them first.
- Log problems. Note what went wrong and when, so you can fix the cause.
Hosting from far away? A trusted caretaker who lives close by is your best security.
On Cabans, guests send requests from their stay page: “Room service”, “Cleaner”, “Call for help”, “Report an issue” or “Something else”. You get an email for each one. Press “Start”, then “Mark as done”, so the guest can see it is handled. How to answer guest requests shows how. Managing from abroad? Read managing a Nigerian shortlet from abroad.
After the stay
The check after a guest leaves protects you and the next guest. Do it every time, the same way.
- Walk through the home as soon as the guest has gone.
- Photograph every room from the same angles you used before the stay.
- Count the keys, remotes and anything valuable.
- Change the door code, and the Wi-Fi password if needed.
- Note anything broken, and fix it before the next guest arrives.
If there is a break-in or a theft
Have a plan, so you act calmly if it ever happens:
- Make sure your guests are safe first, and move them if the home is not secure.
- Tell estate security, then report it at the nearest police station and ask for a written record.
- Photograph everything before anything is moved or repaired.
- Change every lock and code the same day.
- If you have insurance, call your insurer and keep every receipt.
Afterwards, look at how it happened and fix the weak point, whether it is a gate, a window or a copied key.
On Cabans, press “Confirm check-out” and add up to 10 condition photos. Then release the caution deposit, or raise a dispute with the amount and your evidence. Nothing is kept until the Cabans team decides. See how caution deposit protection works, and what to do if a guest damaged your shortlet.
Want to see every booking, guest and request in one place? Manage your shortlet bookings on Cabans. Ready to host? Take bookings online, or first put your home on Cabans.
See how other hosts present their homes: browse shortlets in Lekki, Ikoyi or the short let pages for your city.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep my shortlet safe?
Know who is coming, ask for ID, change the door code after every guest, register guests with the estate gate, set clear house rules, answer quickly during the stay, and check the home after each guest leaves.
Should I ask shortlet guests for ID?
It is a sensible safety step. Say so in your listing before the guest books, ask only for what you need, and keep it private. A passport, driving licence or national ID card is enough.
How often should I change the door code?
After every guest. Change it too if you think a key or code has been shared, or when a cleaner or caretaker stops working for you.
Can I put cameras in my shortlet?
Outside only, such as at the gate or the car park, and say so in your listing. Never put a camera inside rooms where guests expect privacy.
What should I do if a guest breaks the rules?
Remind them politely, in writing. If people or the home are at risk, act at once and call estate security or the police. Afterwards, photograph any damage for your caution deposit claim.
What emergency number should my guests know?
112 is Nigeria’s national emergency number. Also give guests your estate security’s number, your own number and a backup contact, and put them in your house rules.
Who can see a guest’s ID on Cabans?
Only you and the Cabans team. Guest ID documents are kept securely for up to 6 years, as data laws require, and then deleted.
Related guides
House rules template · Check-in instructions template · Party requests · Shortlet agreement · Safety tips for guests · Shortlet scams · Asking guests for ID
Take the next step
Keep your research practical: search for property in Lagos, compare live options for properties in Lagos, or list your property on Cabans to reach active buyers and renters.
Not ready yet? Get an email when new listings go up in Lagos.