CASE STUDY: ENVITAE Uses Room Monitoring Tech to Keep Neighbors Happy and Reduce Property Damage

ENVITAE is a luxury short-term rental and corporate housing provider in the United States. The brand’s apartments offer high-quality furniture, original art, luxury beds, high-speed Wi-Fi and plenty of space for both families and corporate travelers. ENVITAE prides itself on offering guests the homestay experience without the risk of being hosted by an inexperienced individual. Instead, it provides its guests with the same service one would expect from a hotel: professional cleaning crews, 24-hour concierge, access control for safety, state-of-the-art gym facilities, access to pools, and more. While the brand has enjoyed success with its business model, it found it was facing some significant recurring challenges with guests that was leading to lost revenue and poor reviews. So, it set out to find a high-tech solution to these issues.

The Challenge: Reducing the Occurrence of Noisy Gatherings, Property Damage & Smoking Damage

One of ENVITAE's recurring issues revolves around noisy gatherings and parties hosted by guests. These raucous events often resulted in occupancy and noise violations. The aftermath of these parties was costly, as they frequently lead to damage to property items such as glassware, furniture, and carpets. Additionally, neighbors in the vicinity of ENVITAE properties would frequently report these disturbances, worsening the problem. Unfortunately, guests would often ignore the no-smoking rules and rental units would need extensive cleaning to remove the lingering odor – incurring additional expenses for ENVITAE.

The Solution: Installing Alertify Devices in All Rental Units

To help combat guest challenges, ENVITAE installed Alertify devices in all of its rental units. These devices utilize decibel monitoring and air particulate matter monitoring to detect noise and smoking violations. The Alertify dashboard then automatically messages either guest, or host, or both depending on the settings in place. Real-time notifications empower hosts to address the issue promptly, long before it escalates into a full-blown party. Guests are made aware of their noise levels and reminded of the no-smoking policy.

The Results: ENVITAE Reduces Noise Violations, Smoking Activity by 90 Percent

Since installing the devices, ENVITAE’s noise violations, party-related disturbances, and smoking activity have been reduced by more than 90 percent. This proactive approach has not only minimized property damage from parties but has also helped preserve the air quality within the rental units, lessening the amount of time needed to air out units after being inhabited by smoking guests.

Furthermore, Alertify's incident reports have been instrumental in streamlining the management of potential disputes against noise and smoking violations. The comprehensive incident reports generated by Alertify provide a detailed account of each violation, including the type of violation, whether that be smoking, noise, occupancy or environment violations such as air quality, temperature, humidity and mold-risk. 

These reports serve as valuable documentation that can be used to resolve disputes between hosts and guests swiftly and fairly. In cases where there is a disagreement about the nature of an incident, the objective data captured by Alertify's devices offers an impartial source of information, facilitating more efficient conflict resolution. This not only reduces the time and effort required to address disputes but also fosters a sense of trust and transparency between ENVITAE and its guests. 

With fewer incidents of smoking-related damage and the associated costs of cleaning and repairs, ENVITAE has experienced substantial cost savings, enhanced guest experience, increased guest retention and positive word-of-mouth. As a result, the number of negative reviews has dwindled, bolstering ENVITAE's online reputation and increasing their bookings.

"Alertify has transformed the way I manage my properties,” says Joshua Rogers, Founder and CEO, ENVITAE. “It's like having a dedicated guardian for each of my rentals. I no longer worry about guests violating my no-smoking policy or causing disturbances. The real-time alerts have saved me from potential damage and negative guest reviews, and I no longer have any neighbor complaints."