How does Party Squasher detect parties?

Party Squasher uses a small sensor connected to the home’s router to count nearby mobile devices via Wi‑Fi probe signals and estimates occupancy; you set a max device count, and when that threshold is exceeded, you receive SMS/email alerts so you can contact guests before the party escalates.

How much does Party Squasher cost per property?

For Standard, the sensor plus first‑year subscription is $249, with renewals at $199/year; Party Squasher Pro is $309 with renewals at $252/year, and volume discounts bring first‑year hardware down to $119–$149 and renewals to roughly $108–$132 per property at 250+ units.

Is Party Squasher privacy‑compliant?

Yes. Party Squasher does not collect phone numbers, personal data, audio or video; it only counts anonymized device signals and has been certified GDPR‑compliant, using patented heuristics to balance occupancy awareness with guest privacy.

Does Party Squasher use cameras or microphones?

No. Party Squasher uses WiFi-based device detection to estimate occupancy — it counts connected devices on your network without cameras, microphones, or any recording. This makes it fully compliant with guest privacy expectations and short-term rental regulations.

Party Squasher Review: Occupancy Monitoring for STR Party Prevention (2026)

Item: Party Squasher
Rating: 88
Author: STR Specialist

1 min readUpdated 2026-03-06

Overview

Party Squasher is an occupancy monitor for short‑term rentals that counts mobile devices around a property to detect crowd‑size gatherings and alert you before a party gets noisy. A small sensor plugs into the router and uses Wi‑Fi probe signals (no mics or cameras) to estimate how many people are present, sending SMS/email alerts when thresholds are exceeded.

Standard is best for single homes via mobile app; Pro adds a web dashboard, portfolio grouping and an API for PMS integrations. First‑year pricing (sensor + subscription) is $249 Standard or $309 Pro, with renewals at $199 and $252/year respectively and volume discounts from 10 to 250+ units.

Party Squasher

Security & Monitoring

Visit website

Professional rating

4.4/5

Rubric score

88/100

4.4/5

Verdict: Party Squasher is a top-tier choice for property managers and teams. Highly recommended.

At a glance

What it does

Device‑count based occupancy monitoring: Party Squasher tracks the approximate number of people at a property by counting nearby mobile devices using Wi‑Fi probe signals, even when devices are not connected to the home network.
Pre‑noise party prevention: by alerting you when occupancy exceeds a set limit (e.g., 12 devices) before people get loud, you can intervene early to avoid neighbor complaints, fines, damage and delisting, going beyond traditional noise monitors.
Privacy‑friendly design: the system does not record audio, use cameras, or store personal data or phone numbers; it’s been certified GDPR‑compliant and uses patented techniques to preserve privacy while still signaling crowd size.

Best for

Property managers and teams
Hosts who want a clean UI
Automation-first workflows

Not ideal for

Best suited for detached or single‑family homes; the device’s detection radius can pick up neighboring apartments, so it’s not ideal for dense multi‑unit buildings where multiple units share walls.
Annual subscription model with per‑device hardware purchase can be expensive versus some subscription‑only competitors, especially for hosts who want both noise and occupancy monitoring.

Pros & Cons

Highlights and considerations for Party Squasher.

Pros

Device‑count based occupancy monitoring: Party Squasher tracks the approximate number of people at a property by counting nearby mobile devices using Wi‑Fi probe signals, even when devices are not connected to the home network.
Pre‑noise party prevention: by alerting you when occupancy exceeds a set limit (e.g., 12 devices) before people get loud, you can intervene early to avoid neighbor complaints, fines, damage and delisting, going beyond traditional noise monitors.
Privacy‑friendly design: the system does not record audio, use cameras, or store personal data or phone numbers; it’s been certified GDPR‑compliant and uses patented techniques to preserve privacy while still signaling crowd size.
Pro‑grade multi‑property tools: Party Squasher Pro adds a web dashboard to group homes by geography, risk level or manager, plus an API so PMs can integrate occupancy alerts into PMS tools and combine data with noise monitors or smart locks.
Clear hardware + subscription pricing with volume discounts: Standard and Pro include the sensor and first‑year subscription ($249 and $309 retail) with renewals at $199 and $252/year and reduced per‑unit pricing down to $119–$149 first‑year and $108–$132 renewals for 250–499 properties.

Cons

Best suited for detached or single‑family homes; the device’s detection radius can pick up neighboring apartments, so it’s not ideal for dense multi‑unit buildings where multiple units share walls.
Annual subscription model with per‑device hardware purchase can be expensive versus some subscription‑only competitors, especially for hosts who want both noise and occupancy monitoring.
It estimates occupancy based on device count (phones, tablets, wearables) rather than actual headcount; couples sharing devices or guests with multiple devices can skew numbers up or down, so thresholds need tuning.
No built‑in noise monitoring; for full party risk coverage, most PMs will pair Party Squasher with a separate noise monitor and/or camera at the entrance.
Dashboard and API are only available on Pro; Standard is mobile‑app only, which limits multi‑property oversight without upgrading.

Scores

88/100

We test against our monitoring rubric (detection accuracy, alert speed, PMS sync, evidence quality, etc.). Scores use a 100-point scale.

Strong in setup and alert automation; weaker in detection methods for security and monitoring.

Setup

9/10

PMS sync

8/10

Alert automation

9/10

Detection methods

7/10

Ease of use

8/10

Team & scale

9/10

Support

8/10

Evidence export

5/5

Value for money

8/10

Reliability

9/10

Hands-on Review Notes

Pricing

Best value: Standard — Sold as an annual service; first year is bundled into the device price. Subsequent renewals are $199/year (~$16.58/month).

Pricing at a glance
Plan	Monthly	Base includes
Standard	Sold as an annual service; first year is bundled into the device price. Subsequent renewals are $199/year (~$16.58/month).	One Party Squasher sensor, mobile app access (iOS/Android), cloud service for occupancy counting, SMS/email alerts, and the first year’s subscription.
Pro	Also sold annually; first year included with device. Subsequent renewals are $252/year (~$21/month).	Sensor, Pro web dashboard for multi‑property portfolios, mobile app access, portfolio grouping, extended analytics and API access for integrating with PMS or other devices, plus first‑year subscription.

Pricing at a glance
Plan	Base includes	Monthly	Per-additional	Notes
Standard	One Party Squasher sensor, mobile app access (iOS/Android), cloud service for occupancy counting, SMS/email alerts, and the first year’s subscription.	Sold as an annual service; first year is bundled into the device price. Subsequent renewals are $199/year (~$16.58/month).	Retail: $249 initial per property including sensor + first year. Renewal: $199/property/year. Volume: 10–99 units at $199 initial, 100–249 at $149, 250–499 at $119; corresponding renewals down to roughly $108–$132/year at 250+ units per STRHub.	Good for individual hosts or small portfolios that just need app‑based alerts for specific homes.
Pro	Sensor, Pro web dashboard for multi‑property portfolios, mobile app access, portfolio grouping, extended analytics and API access for integrating with PMS or other devices, plus first‑year subscription.	Also sold annually; first year included with device. Subsequent renewals are $252/year (~$21/month).	Retail: $309 per property including sensor + first year. Renewal: $252/property/year. Volume: 10–99 at $249 first‑year, 100–249 at $189, 250–499 at $149; renewals down to about $132/year for 250+ units.	Designed for PMs managing tens to thousands of units who need dashboard views, custom thresholds per property, and integrations.

Integrations

Common integrations supported by Party Squasher.

Integrations

PMS platforms

—

Alert channels

—

Hardware / sensors

—

Other integrations

Party Squasher Pro exposes an API that lets property managers connect occupancy data into existing PMS tools and dashboards, and its Pro dashboard is designed to be extensible to show status from other devices like noise monitors or keyless locks, creating a unified risk‑monitoring view.

Trial Guide: What to Test

During your trial or demo, focus on detection methods and confirm daily workflows.

What to test in the trial

Install the device and verify it detects noise/smoke within the claimed thresholds
Test automated guest alerts and confirm delivery timing
Connect your PMS and verify reservation data syncs to the dashboard
Generate an incident report and check it contains timestamps and evidence