leaving keys for guests

[David1066]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to Hosting and wondering how do other hosts leave keys for guests? I cannot meet guests on arrival and need to leave a key thats accesable at all times, my first thought was a keysafe but I would have to change the code every time the guest leaves so they don't have unlimited access to the property. 

Another thought was a Yale smartlock that works via a downloadable yale app where you can send keys to guests nut these are expensive and I am sceptical about how well they work.

Any suggestions  ??

thanks in advance

[Sebastian191]

Hi AirBnBer's ,

If you are looking for a Key Exchange Service in the United Kingdom, I would like to introduce you to Parcelly. Parcelly’s key exchange service provides a simple, secure and cost-efficient solution for your needs. The Parcelly app allows you to have complete control over your keys.

Currently we have more than 1500+ key-exchange locations spread across the UK (300+ only in London), served through local businesses.  All our locations are open late (many 24 hours) and on weekends.

The process is very simple:

• Download our application
• Choose your preferred location
• Sign-up to one of our key-exchange models
• Deposit your keys at your preferred location
• Share your collection pin with your guest
• Track your keys

We also have a 24/7 support team to assist with any queries.

Please take a look at our website for details of how to sign up and our competitive pricing:[Link hidden]

Best Regards,

Laura

[Moira21]

@David1066 Hi, I don't use keys, it's a keyless entry system (Yale) fitted to my front door. I can set 2 separate codes should I have more than 1 guest, so each guest has their own 4 digit code. When a guest leaves I change the code for the next guest. No security issues and no loss of keys!! 

[Marc295]

Hi all!

I work for KeyNest, we are an Official Airbnb HostAssist Partner which provides an insurance-approved key exchange service for the Airbnb community - we've welcomed more than 100,000 Airbnb guests to date.

Our service include online key tracking and since we are linked to Airbnb can be easily automated. Thanks for our integration with Airbnb, our 24/7 support team can communicate directly with your guests in case of need. One less things on your to-do!

Best

Marc

[Sally221]

We are so old school & on site & have had such great guests- we use plain old keys which have been walked off with & mailed back 5-6 times. The only time we didn't the keys back was when the poor girl had her stuff stolen in San Francisco, losing the key ring was the last thing we cared about as she'd lost her passport and student visa and was in such a state. In the rare instances that we haven't been home I send a message telling our guests where the keys are hidden. Every listing is different, I'd be very wary as well ussing an app, to many ways it could go wrong and the stakes are too high, Sally

[Sonya68]

Yes this seems great but not available in the US

[Edward295]

Hi @Sonya68 , KeyNest is now available in the USA! Do you mind letting me know where you're based? Here's our locations map: secure.keynest.com , let me know if you need any help or want to request a store 🙂

[Jamie301]

What do you do if you the space you would like to rent is a condominium. I’m not sure there is room for me to leave a lockbox in the front entrance of the building. Could you leave it somewhere in the parkade? 

[TracieandJason0]

@Jamie301 I've heard people living in condos or apartments often rely on a trustworthy neighbor. Otherwise I would try to find a gate not too far from the property to leave a lockbox and obviously only vet guests who are not local and therefore less likely to try to come back to steal. If your airbnb is lucrative enough and it's not a problem to temporaily change the door lock, I would just install a smart lock. 

[Edward295]

Hi everyone,

Just an update from KeyNest! 

You didn't say where you were based David but we've now grown our network to 1800 stores covering the UK, France, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland and Australia - with Spain coming very soon.

As Marc has already said above, using KeyNest is really easy - you just sign up online and drop your keys off for your guest or cleaner to collect later. All keys are stored securely and monitered at all times, and KeyNest access codes are single-use so guests can only get them once. Most of our stores are also 24/7!

If anyone has any questions I'm happy to answer them 🙂

Ed - Team KeyNest

keynest.com/airbnb-key-exchange

[Cash3]

In many countries there's a service called Keycafe that is an automated key exchange service. The lockboxes are located in public places near your Airbnb that are usually 24/7. It actually integrates with Airbnb so you can totally automate access as well. If you're interested I can refer anybody over and I think it's a discounted rate for a referral.

[Vince1175]

Thank you.  I am interested in using a Keycafe near 509 Hunter Street Newcastle NSW Australia?  How can I find out if this possible?  Vince

[Rich-and-Yan0]

We currently use a dual system of having our house managers meet the guests when they can, and having them use a lockbox to get the key out of it when our team are not available (e.g. when someone arrives late at night). As others have indicated, we change the code every time new guests arrive, during the cleaning. Even if our managers can meet them, we keep a key in the lockbox that uses their code--that is, the last four digits of the guest who booked the villa's phone number--just in case they happen to lock themselves out.

So far, we haven't had any problems, but we are still relatively new hosts. So, there may be headaches with this system in our future. We are actually considering switching to an electronic door lock that also has a key option--the key being for in case the batteries fail or something goes wrong with the electronic system (which we've read can happen) and our managers need to get in. 

[Pete69]

I use a lockbox and I have several deadbolt locks in rotation. If a guest ever forgets to leave keys or if I have the slightest suspicions then I replace the deadbolt. I also hide a key just in case they can't figure out how to open the lockbox and I'm not home.

A deadbolt costs about $10. Have 4 extra keys made for about $0.50 to $1 each. A lot cheaper than buying one of those keypad locks, which if you read the Home Depot reviews, are not fail proof. But of course you can hide a spare key somewhere for when all else fails.