Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, Happy Moon Homestay may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only list the kinds of items we use at our own homestay in Aldona, North Goa.
By Ulhas Polle, host at Happy Moon Homestay, Aldona, North Goa, since 2024 · Updated 2 October 2026
Our track record: Google 4.9★ (130 reviews) · Airbnb 4.88★ Guest Favourite (41 reviews) · Booking.com 9.8/10 Exceptional
Whether you run a homestay, a guest house, a villa or you are renting out one spare room, security is the first thing to set up and the last thing guests should have to think about. Guests arrive late from the airport, go out at night and come back after midnight. You will not always be at home to open the door. This guide is the exact outside and security setup we run at Happy Moon Homestay in Aldona, North Goa, and the reasons behind each item.
The short version: lights that switch themselves on only at night when someone is there, a camera you can watch from your phone with alerts for late-night movement, a gate bell guests can press in the rain, and a main door that opens with an RFID card so you never have to get up at 1 a.m. to let a guest in.
1. At the gate: let guests reach you
- Wireless gate bell, remote-operated and waterproofneededone-time
The button sits on the gate, the chime sits inside. It survives the monsoon and guests can call you without phoning.
View on Amazon → - Main door matneededone-time₹385 (Oct 2025)
Keeps sand and rain out of the house. Shake it out daily and wash it weekly.
Our pick: View on Amazon → - Shoe rack (Nilkamal)neededone-time₹900 (Oct 2025)
Wet and sandy shoes stay at the entrance, not in the rooms.
Our pick: View on Amazon →
2. Sensor lights: on only at night, only when needed
Choose lights with a built-in daylight sensor, so they switch on only after dark and only when they sense someone. Lights that stay on all night waste power, and lights you have to switch on yourself will be forgotten on the one night a guest arrives late. Keep one or two spares: a dead sensor light is exactly what a guest notices on a dark gravel path.
- Motion sensor LED bulb (Halonix)neededone-time₹147 (Oct 2025)
Screws into the porch or gate light you already have and lights up when someone walks past. The cheapest upgrade on this list.
Our pick: View on Amazon → - Dusk-to-dawn outdoor sensor lightneededone-time
Switches on only after dark and only when it senses someone. Fit one at the gate, the door and where guests park.
View on Amazon → - Solar motion sensor lightoptionalone-time
For spots with no wiring. They keep working through power cuts.
View on Amazon →
3. Cameras you can watch from anywhere
We use Trueview cameras. If the spot has Wi-Fi, use a Wi-Fi camera. If it does not, use a 4G SIM camera. If there is no power, use a solar 4G camera. Set up late-night movement alerts in the camera app (we set ours for roughly midnight to 5 a.m.), so your phone tells you about movement at the gate instead of you watching recordings.
- Outdoor Wi-Fi cameraoptionalone-time₹2,950 (Oct 2025)
The camera we picked for a client’s one-room setup. You can see the gate and parking from anywhere in the world.
Our pick: View on Amazon → - Trueview 4G SIM camera
For a gate or plot with no Wi-Fi. Needs a data SIM.
View on Amazon → - Trueview solar 4G cameraoptional
No power and no Wi-Fi? This one runs on its own panel and SIM.
View on Amazon → - Memory card for the cameraneededone-time
Keeps recording if the internet drops. Use a surveillance-grade card and check it monthly.
View on Amazon → - Wi-Fi router for the cameras
A camera at the far end of a plot often needs its own router or extender. Put it on the inverter (see the power guide).
View on Amazon → - Camera installation and app setupoptional₹1000 (oct 2025)buy locally
A local technician mounts, wires and configures the camera and alerts.
A lesson from a real review. One guest gave us 3 stars and wrote that the cameras and sensor lights made them “feel a bit watched rather than at home”. Cameras protect your guests and your property, but point them at the gate, parking and entrances only, never into windows, rooms or bathrooms. Mention them in your listing and house rules so nobody is surprised. Airbnb does not allow any cameras inside a listing, even in common areas, and requires outdoor cameras to be disclosed.
4. Access: stop being the doorman
The single best purchase for a host’s peace of mind is an RFID lock on the main door. We use a Lavana lock. Each guest gets a card on arrival, late check-ins stop being a problem, and you are not called to the door every time someone comes back from the beach.
- Lavana RFID door lockneededone-time
Guests tap a card to enter; you are not woken for late arrivals. Battery-powered, so keep spare batteries and the mechanical key.
View on Amazon → - Extra RFID cards for the lockneeded
Buy cards compatible with your lock model. Guests lose them; keep at least two spares.
View on Amazon → - Key lock box with codeneededone-time
For the days nobody can welcome guests: leave the RFID card or room key inside and send the code on check-in day. Change the code after each booking.
View on Amazon →
5. Safety for the whole property
- ABC fire extinguisher (2 kg)neededone-time
One per floor and one near the kitchen. Note the refill date on it.
View on Amazon → - First aid kitneededone-time
Keep it where guests can find it and mention where in your house rules.
View on Amazon → - Guest registerneeded₹100buy locally
For check-in records and ID details. Foreign guests also need a Form C submission.
What our guests say about this (verified Airbnb reviews):
“Being a solo female traveller, I wasn’t worried about my safety the moment I walked into the property. I’m here on a workation and was able to work in peace… I had planned to stay for 2–3 days but ended up extending my stay for over a month.”
— Varsha, 5★ on Airbnb, July 2025
See it working before you spend a rupee
Everything in this guide is running at Happy Moon Homestay in Aldona, North Goa. Book a consultation: two hours on site with me, walking through the security setup, power backup, rooms, kitchen and the systems that keep reviews at 4.9★, and then your own property and plan. ₹10,000 for 2 hours. Free for persons of Goan origin. Staying the night is optional and charged at our normal room rate, so you can experience it as a guest.
Book a consultation on WhatsApp →
Want us to set it all up for you? See our done-for-you Airbnb setup service.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to have CCTV cameras at a homestay?
Outdoor cameras covering the gate, parking and entrances are common and sensible. Never place cameras inside rooms, bathrooms or anywhere guests change, and disclose all cameras in your listing and house rules. Airbnb does not allow any indoor cameras.
What camera should I use if there is no Wi-Fi or power at the gate?
Use a 4G SIM camera where there is no Wi-Fi, and a solar 4G camera where there is no power either. We use Trueview cameras.
Why use an RFID lock instead of handing over keys?
You do not have to be home for late check-ins, lost cards are cheap to replace, and you never have to get up at night to open the door. Keep a key box for the first handover when you are away.
Should outdoor lights stay on all night?
No. Night-only motion sensor lights switch on only when someone is there, which saves power and means you never forget to switch them on.
The full homestay setup series
Start with the complete checklist with real costs, or go area by area:
- Security and outside the property (this article)
- Power, water and internet
- Kitchen
- Bedroom
- Common area and dining
- Bathroom
- Supplies and maintenance
Staying in North Goa? See our rooms at Happy Moon Homestay.