Recommended Smart Devices To Manage Your Short Term Rental
Managing a short-term rental can be a challenging task. Running a short-term rental means a lot of turnover, new set of guests for each stay, and a lot of traffic in-and-out of the rental. Many people would be deterred from owning a short-term rental, let alone managing one!
Technology has come a long way in recent years. The selection of smart devices has really exploded with many more options to choose from and with cheaper prices! With the help of smart devices, it can be much easier and more efficient than ever to manage your short-term rental, even from another state!
At the bare minimum, I recommend hosts having a smart lock, video doorbell, thermostat, and security cameras. For each device, I’ll go over why you need these devices in your operations and my device recommendations. I would recommend maintaining the same brand of devices for each type of device for easier access all in one application.
Smart Lock
Smart locks are a great way to provide easy access to your guests without having to be physically present to hand over keys. This makes check-in convenient for the host and the guest and gives guests a sense of privacy. These locks can be controlled remotely through a smartphone app and allow you to grant access to your guests with a unique passcode for specific periods of time.
Smart locks are either connected with the home’s wifi or smart home hub via bluetooth. My recommendation for a smart lock is the Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt.
The Schlage Encode is a sleek top-of-the-line smart lock on the market today. The best feature is that it connects to the home’s WiFi to enable remote control via your phone from anywhere in the world. This means the ability to lock and unlock your door from anywhere, giving you complete control over who has access to your home. You can also create and manage up to 100 unique access codes for your family, friends, and guests. Even if the home’s WiFi goes down temporarily, the lock will still function as normal without remote control until it reconnects to the WiFi, which connects automatically once it’s running normally.
Another great feature of the Schlage Encode is its built-in alarm system. The lock has a built-in sensor that can detect when someone is trying to tamper with it or force it open. If this happens, the lock will emit a loud alarm and send a notification, if enabled, to your phone.
You can read a more detailed review on other smart locks here.
Recommended alternatives: eufy Security S330 Video Smart Lock (Smart Lock and Camera),
eufy Security C210(E110) Smart Lock
Smart Doorbell
The smart doorbell offers you the capability to monitor and answer the front door whether it’s guests, delivery people, or anyone. It also acts as another security camera.
My recommendation for a smart doorbell is the Ring Doorbell. It’s not expensive and very easy to install. I maintain Ring doorbells and security cameras which I can easily access through the Ring app which makes managing my properties easier.
Recommended alternatives: Blink Video Doorbell, Google Nest Doorbell, Arlo Video Doorbell
Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat can help you manage the temperature of your rental property, even when you’re not there. With a smart thermostat, you can set schedules for heating and cooling, monitor energy usage, and adjust the temperature remotely through a smartphone app.
Guests could greatly increase the cost of your heating and cooling by leaving it on at very low or high temperatures for their entire stay as they don’t pay for the cost of utility. Smart thermostats can also give the ability to set restrictions to how low or high temperatures can be set.
My recommendation for a smart thermostat for your short term rental is the Google Nest. The Google Nest is an aesthetically-pleasing device and operates efficiently.
The only negative in terms of functionality is changing the temperature. The Google Nest uses touch-sensitivity on the right-side of the device to change the temperature as it has no buttons. Guests are often confused on how to change the temperature so I made sure to include it in the instructions in my guest book. Another alternative is spending a bit more for the Google Nest Learning Thermostat.
Recommended alternatives: Honeywell Home WiFi Smart Thermostat, Ecobee Lite Thermostat
Smart Security Cameras
Security cameras can help you keep an eye on your rental property when you’re not there. With a smart security camera, you can monitor your property in real-time through a smartphone app and receive notifications if there’s any unusual activity. Some cameras even come with motion sensors and can automatically record video when they detect movement.
More importantly, this gives hosts peace of mind and it also allows you to take care of your property by seeing if unauthorized guests enter your home from another location!
My recommendation for a smart security camera is Ring Floodlight and the Ring Spotlight camera. These are great cameras to position around your property and can activate its LED lights from motion-activated. I recommend opting for the wired versions since it requires less maintenance (swapping batteries).
I never had any negative experience using the Ring cameras. The cameras maintained constant connection (as long as the internet and electricity for the home worked). It offers customizability in how often you receive notifications and the motion-activation field can be customized to only activate in certain areas.
Recommended alternatives: Blink Outdoor (easy to install and 2-year battery life with 2 AA batteries), Arlo Spotlight Camera
Conclusion
Smart devices can make managing a short-term rental property much easier and more efficient. With smart locks, doorbells, thermostats, and security cameras, you can provide a great check-in experience for your guests while also keeping your property safe and secure. It’s more critical for hosts who manage their rentals from another city as the devices become your eyes and ears.
