What is the best smart lock for short term rentals?

[Derick219]

Hello, I'd like to switch from lock boxes to smart locks. What is the best brand/app?

[Jo-Anne43]

Hi @Derick219 I am new, but I use the Schlage smart lock for the front door.  I can  change the code, and open and lock the door directly from my cell phone -- The best purchase I've ever made.

[Helen3]

Interesting you don't appear to be a host @Jo-Anne43  is that for your home rather than an Airbnb?

[Jo-Anne43]

My property in California is no longer active.  I am opening up a new property for short-term rental in December in New Jersey after the photos are taken this month.

[Patty344]

I agree on the Schlage.  I have the Schlage Encode wi-fi on my rental in SC, and it works well.  I did get a lemon with the first lock I bought, but brought it back to the store and the new one has worked for 3 years now.  I liked it so much I bought it for my home as well.

[Paula]

Hello @Derick219, welcome to the Airbnb community 😊

I am sharing a thread where some Hosts are sharing their opinions on different types of smart locks:https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Ask-about-your-listing/Tip-of-the-Week-10-Clear-instructions-for...

I also did a search in our Community and you can find additional conversations 👉here. Please feel free to change the keywords to see additional discussions.

I hope this helps,

[Octavio115]

@Derick219 After doing a lot of research and buying 2 smart locks for my personal house, i bought the Eufy lock for my Airbnb.  they have a lot of options and they even have an option that includes a camera.  The battery live is advertised as 1 yr.  The thing I liked the best about the eufy was the ease of set up, and how well it works.  You can set up unique codes for your cleaners and for your guests and you can schedule the guest codes to start on the check in date and end on the checkout date.

I also bought the Eufy doorbell camera and the quality was superb. The only complaint I had about the doorbell camera was an inordinate amount of false human detection alerts.  I added a second camera to cover the driveway and added a home base and the false alerts have ended.  the new home base offers face detection so you can register yourself and family and eliminate alerts when you or a family member are on camera.

[Joan2709]

Hi @Derick219 

Lots of opinions on what ithe best smart locks for STRs. I can say that many Hosts use the Schlage Encode or the Yale Assure or Yale Assure 2. They are both Wi-Fi Locks that can work with alot of smart home hubs and offer App access to the Lock.The only headache I hear for these 2 locks is battery life is 4-6 months.  I have worked with both Schlage and Yale locks and they have performed well.  I have also seen complaints that the Schlage lock doesn't perform well in humid environments (think coastal Texas or Florida). but I have not experienced that in our locations.

Just remember that your cell phone is used to connect the lock initially to your Wi-Fi and your phone must be connected on 2.4 network (NOT 5g). The lock will only connect to a 2.4G network. That seems to cause alot of issues with setup for some. There can also be issues connecting if you have a mesh Wi-Fi system (Orbi, Deco, etc.) There are work arounds though.

I suggest only purchasing a smart lock that also has a backup key. Store the backup key either in a key lockbox or hidden somewhere that a guest can find it with direction from you. If you let the batteries get low and the lock doesn't work, guests can still get in with the key. 

Airbnb's most recent 2023 Winter Release added smart lock integration to the platform, but only for 3 smart lock manufacturers (so far); Schalge, Yale and August. I would go with the 3 that can be integrated directly through Airbnb in the near future. Might save you alot of time using the Airbnb smart lock integration. 

[James4186]

Thanks, this is really helpful. Any idea if Schalge/Yale have improved their battery life?

Anyone know how long the batteries last in August locks?

[Joan2709]

Hi @James4186 

Don't know about battery life on the August Locks? However, wanted to mention I also like the Eufy S330 Video doorbell/smart lock also. Combines both video doorbell and smart lock in one. Has a lithium battery that is supposed to last one year and is rechargeable with a USB C cord. I really like that. Uses an SD card for local video storage. I think you can also do a cloud subscription. Around $330. Not currently slated for integration with Airbnb though. Also, I only worked with it briefly (worked like a charm), but last check you could only schedule date or day of the week for codes, not the time. For example you can make the code active on the day of checkin, but not the time of checkin. They may have made a firmware update that corrects that by now...not sure.

[Andrea7149]

Hello @Joan2709 

Can you generate codes remotely? My Airbnb is in Mexico, and I am in the USA.

Thanks!

Andrea

[Joan2709]

@Andrea7149 

Yes…you can generate codes remotely in the App.

[Kim4336]

hello. What model did you get that you can schedule in and out times?

I’m currently buying a Airbnb.  can you email me the answer at

**. I don’t think I’ll find this forum again. Lol

Thank You for your time

Kim

**[E-mail address removed due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines]

[Alicia753]

Hi @Derick219 

Hope all is well! You may try the use of Keycafe and RemoteLock to manage access to your property, it is a smart and efficient approach. Depending on your preference, both are best in doing it's job in terms of having a self-check-in listing. Here are my insights into these smart locks. I hope this helps! 😊

1. Keycafe - Guests can pick up and drop off keys at their convenience by using a unique access code. This eliminates the need for in-person key exchanges, which can be particularly useful if you're unable to meet guests personally or if they arrive at odd hours.

2. RemoteLock It can create a unique access code for each guest you'll have. You can integrate it on your Airbnb plus points also that it will save you in terms of lost keys. 

Have a great day! 

[Kristy-And-Dave0]

With Airbnb integration now working with Schalge locks, I'd think that's generally the first place to look, though that will likely be coming with other brands as well. I adore my Schlage Encode Plus locks and being able to use my iphone to unlock with a tap is glorious. It's also great that Airbnb automatically creates access codes for guests scoped to the time of their stays.

The integration with Apple Home, especially the homekey tap to unlock functionality is pretty great. They also works nicely with Home Assistant for folks interested in that.

Unfortunately for me, I have 3 of these locks on my property and Airbnb only activates the access code for one of them. Fortunately for me, I've written some code that duplicates the access codes to my other locks so my guests can use all of them.

I can say a lot more about these locks if desired. They are pricey, but I like how they work. There was a comment in a another reply here about battery life - it's true they do consume the battery, but it's not too terrible - you definitely get months and you can always see the battery level in both the Schlage and Home apps.