Quick answer: in a holiday rental, don't rely on the room safe or the bedside drawer. Guests should split cash and cards between what they carry, a toiletry-style diversion safe and their luggage. Hosts should never leave their own valuables in drawers or cupboards guests can open: keep them in a locked owner's cupboard or take them away.
Holiday rentals are full of people who don't know each other: guests, cleaners, maintenance staff, the host. Everyone has a key, and nobody knows who opened which drawer. That is exactly the situation where hiding beats locking.
For guests
Don't trust the obvious spots
The room safe, the bedside table and the suitcase pocket are the first places anyone checks, and more people have a key to a rental than to a hotel room.
Split what you bring
- On you: the day's cash and one card.
- In the wash bag: a roll-on or deodorant safe with a backup card and a folded note.
- In a handbag: a lipstick safe with rolled notes.
- While out: a money belt under your clothes.
More ideas in our guide to hiding money when traveling.
Passports
Keep passports with you or split them from your cash. Never put everything that matters in one bag.
For hosts
- Clear the guest areas. Nothing of yours should sit in drawers or cupboards guests can open.
- Use a locked owner's cupboard for anything that must stay.
- Keep spare keys out of reach. Not in a kitchen drawer: in an object guests have no reason to touch, like an air freshener or a multipurpose oil can in the owner's cupboard.
FAQ
Are holiday rental safes secure?
They are better than nothing, but hosts and staff can usually open them, and they are the first place a thief looks. Use them for low-value items only.
Can I take a diversion safe in my luggage?
Yes. A toiletry-style safe packs like any other wash-bag item.
Where should hosts keep spare keys?
Never in a kitchen drawer or under the mat. A locked owner's cupboard or an everyday object guests won't touch is far safer.