Summer: Not cancelled. If your summer plans include a security clearance and an Airbnb or vacation rental property, however, you may have questions. An article we published yesterday outlined considerations for clearance-holders who may own an Airbnb or vacation rental property. While the most common question is whether or not the individual needs to report any foreign nationals who visit the property, the more likely issue is any financial gains from the property, and making sure you’re staying on the right side of the law. Make sure you’re paying taxes, and adhering to local property laws and requirements. Foreign influence is not likely to be a factor from a vacation rental, but financial issues or criminal conduct could be if you don’t play by the rules.
Security clearance holders often ask if they can stay in an Airbnb or privately owned vacation rental while traveling overseas, as well. There’s no policy against a security clearance holder staying in a privately owned vacation rental property, but clearance holders should pay careful attention to lodging when they travel abroad. Hotels are well known to be a breeding ground for foreign intelligence services. This is just one of the reasons why security clearance holders are required to self-report foreign travel to their security officer. Your security advisor can give you a local area briefing for the area you’ll visit, and notify you of specific precautions to take. They can also advise you of any known counterintelligence issues surrounding hotels, vacation rentals, or regions.
You don’t need to cancel your summer plans if you have a security clearance, but make sure you’re adhering to local agency policies and procedures.
