Smart Door locks

[Matthew147]

Hi Everyone - 

We're closing on our first Airbnb rental next week and going to be updating the property, so I wanted to ask a couple of questions about the smart home features - specifically locks.  

I've been researching alot of the smart home locks and these look like they're going to be awesome as we'll be managing our property from afar (rental is in FL and we live in Chicago).  Some of the ones that I'm considering:

1. August  - wondering if we would need the keypad and door lock as well.
2. Schlage Connect + Wink Hub - have some friends that use this on their rentals here in Chicago
3. Kwikset Kevo - This is probably the bottom of the list

I'm concerned with some of them that require a smartphone app (of course they have a backup key) as some of our renters may not be techno-savvy.  Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[Geoff91]

Hi 

check out this new Australian company called NoahFace.

www.noahface.com

Their “Access” product is fantastic using facial recognition.

Single or multi door. Remote control with manual pin override. SMS codes sent to the renter prior to arrival.

It’s really  cool. Audit trail feature for you to see who actually went through the door.

[Madhura0]

The latest version of Rboy apps Rental local automater (RLA) is even better. Now it automatically sets my thermostats to a comfortable temperature an hour before the renters check in and turns them off after check out. I literally don't have to do anything now nor do I have to worry about renters forgetting to turn off the HVAC. It's just so awesome, I'm in love with it!

If you have a Smartthings hub, rboy apps RLA is a no brainer for managing rental properties. One of these days I'm going to post a video of how I've set it up to manage my entire rental process.

You can check it out at www.rboyapps.com under the commercial apps section.

[Ronen2]

Hi Matthew, 

We have 7 Air BnB's and have both the August Smart Locks with the August Connect and Keypads as well as the Schalge Connect with a Smart Things Hub.

If you want simplicity in setup then August is the way to go. Their products have come a long way since I first started using them where they would constantly stop working. They are now much more reliable, however, the batteries on them need changing every couple of months. 

The Shclage Connects are much more to my liking as they are also rock solid, the keypad is built in and the batteries last about a year. 

They are also much cheaper than the August as it comes with a deadbolt (August uses your existing one) and as mentioned above, has the keypad built in. (August requires the keypad and a Connect unit).

They both now have the ability to integrate with Air BnB, although the August integration doesn't give you any options in how to set it up. I am using a third party app on SmartThigns called Rental Lock Automater (RLA) which I love. 

I've tailored it to automate the entire process. It creates users with codes that are the last 4 digits of their phone number for the period of their stay and text the guests a template which you can customize with form fields. So all their checkin instructions can be sent automatically without you needing to do anything. 

After the guest has checked out, the user is automatically removed. With August, the users all remain in the app and you have to delete them manually. As well, You cannot modify the automated email August sends the guest. 

If you have more than one lock, then the RLA can also set the code for all the locks to be the same for the guests stay. I prefer this from a guests perspective as I don't want my guests to have to remember different codes for different doors and this is the case for August. August also provides them with a 6 digit code which is overkill IMHO.

The RLA will also integrate with other platforms so if you're hosting on multiple platforms, the integration is already there. 

The only downside to Smartthings and RLA is the setup. It's a to do to get everything setup and will take a few hours of learning the Smarthings system, following FAQ's and setting up new accounts. 

For me, it was absolutely worth it as the few hours I spent initially, have saved me hundreds of hours creating users and codes and communicating those to guests. 

So in summary, August is higher price but very easy limited integration and poor battery life, while Schlage is lower price (40% lower), more difficult to setup but provides lots more options and features and batteries last a year. 

Good luck!

[Isabelle623]

I have been using NUKI smartlock since March 2018 and its been phenomenal. And the integration with Airbnb works so well, that I don't need to do much. The platform automatically sends the smartkeys to the guests 3 days prior to the start of the stay and we have had zero issues.

Some not-so-tech savvy guests expressed concern prior to the start of their stay...but once they started the stay, they found it super easy.

And since early this year, we also procured the Nuki smart keypad for those who do have smart phones. And it has definitely helped.

Would recommend to use lithium batteries though as the guests seem to play with the lock on day one of their stay a lot and the batteries seem to last just 4-6 weeks max and the Lithium batteries have helped a lot. 

And the cost is not so high and the installation is super easy. 

[Виталий5]

On Aliexpress, if you enter airbnb in the search, then there will be interesting code locks and inexpensive. Even the t-shirt))

[Devin-and-Sarah0]

It is nearly impossible to find a smart lock that has been fully integrated with Airbnb. The closest you can get is controlling your smart lock remotely via apps. Either with Z-Wave technology or August RemoteLock software. 

If you guys are looking for a great review on brand named smart locks using Z-Wave or Remotelock then I found this blog post useful for choosing. https://www.airbnbuniverse.com/smart-locks-for-airbnb

They break down Z-Wave series from Schlage, Yale, and Kwikset or August smart locks. Enjoy!

[Tomas147]

Check the Danalock and Yale door locks

[David4394]

I installed a Yale smart lock for my airbnb years ago so each guest has their own private code but then it became a headache to remember to rotate the codes per guest.  I now use Neome (neome.co) which does that for me and notifies my guest which save me time.  They also control and limit my thermostat which is a bonus to save energy.  Smart devices are good but it better to have it linked to your airbnb to automate the controls of it.

[Kim567]

We are interviewing Neome.co now as a possible solution. Thanks to whomever in this thread recommended this. Looks like Neome sets up your remote lock and offers some other neat features. It seems as though the fee is up to $20 per month.

One advantage is that the code is synced with your calendar and sent to the guest. They also notify your house keepers when a booking has occurred and lets them choose to accept a cleaning. 

The also offer a leak detector. 

I was told you need to purchase the Samsung Smart Home Hub in addition to the lock and or other digital devices you want to use. 

We will also be installing CCTV or webcam at the entrance. 

FYI, we are pretty sure someone made a copy of a key from our lockbox and accessed the rental on another night(s) when the unit was occupied. This would be easy enough because our calendar is clearly visible and shows what nights are open. Our housekeeper picked up on a couple of things, one, the blinds were in a different position, and then we had a guest arrive to  a mussed bed after we had cleaned 2 days prior. 

Thanks for thoughts on Neome or other options. Cheers! 

[Jessica384]

I've been using August for the past few months. No issues, no codes to remember. I just remind guests to sign up.

[Juan63]

As a guest I would really dislike the necessity to sign up.

[Jerry270]

now in the market, there are intelligent locks specifically made for airbnb. Technology is totally mature this year (2019)and you can search " rallartech " on google to get the original supplier at very low cost. 

[Danielle476]

We've been using August for a year now.  At first, I had guests sign up to access the lock, but now I just unlock it remotely when they buzz into my building.  Saves me from sending them sign-up requests, getting their phone numbers, allotting specific access, etc.  I have to buzz them into the building when they arrive so it takes me another 5 seconds to open my app and unlock the door.  The keys are inside and I lock up when they check out.  No issues so far!

[Juan63]

Both my listings are smart homes, from the doors, to the lights, music, etc.. My favorite lock by far is the Nest Yale deadbolt with keypad. The software is great and for me the fact that it turns off the nest alarm too, is amazing! Works great with all our google devices too. Best part is your guest doesn't have to sign up for anything like August.

[Devin-and-Sarah0]

Hi Matthew, we have always loved using Yale, Schlage or Kwikset. Currently have a Schlage on our listing in Canada. For more information and sources here's a great article to cover everything. https://airbnbuniverse.com/smart-locks-for-airbnb/