Holiday rentals are continuing to grow in popularity, with more people choosing to book holiday homes when they go abroad or when on a staycation.
And this trend doesn’t look to be slowing down, with more people searching for new, unique self-catering options. In fact, Statistica reported that in January 2023, Airbnb.com was the third most visited travel and tourism website worldwide, with a huge 105.8 million visits during the month of January1.
So, if you’re an owner of an Airbnb, or a holiday let and you’re regularly getting booked up, it’s important to find the most efficient and convenient way of running the property to make it simple and straightforward for both you and the visiting guests.
Exchanging keys from old guests to new guests can be a time-consuming process, so if you’re getting tired of always having to make the trip to meet your guests and hand over the keys or relying on that rickety old lockbox to store them, then there is a solution.
Using a lockbox seems like an easy way for guests to grab the keys at their new home-for-a-day, but unless you’re changing the access code or the lock to your property after every stay, it’s not the most secure method of handing over your keys. After all, any would-be thieves could easily return to the lockbox when nobody’s home, or indeed clone the keys to your property without your knowledge.
Enter the smart lock, a convenient, easy way for you to keep full control over the home, even if you’re not the one staying there.
A suitably smart solution
Smart locks allow you to be in control of who has access to your home or property let.
There are a wide range of smart lock available on the market; at Yale, we offer smart locks with keypads and without, and all with smartphone connectivity.
By installing a smart lock, you can grant your guests access in a number of different ways to give both you and your guests, ultimate peace of mind.
If you’d prefer your guests use a physical key to access the property, you can leave them a key card or tag in a safe, secure location (such as a lockbox).
Alternatively, you can send your guests a ‘digital key’. This is sent straight through to their smartphone and allows them to access the property using their phone. Once they’ve checked out, you can revoke their access via the connected smartphone app and then grant access to the next guests.
For those who don’t live close to their holiday let, smart locks can be hugely beneficial as there’s no need to worry about travelling to collect the keys. Or if the keys haven’t been returned safely, it’s no problem, as it’s all controlled through the app, by you.
And if you arrange for cleaners to go in in-between guests, it’s just as simple to provide a digital key which is set to work on the days they need to gain access to the property. Which means, there’s no need for you to worry about missing keys or providing lots of spare keys.
An alternative access
If you don’t want to provide digital keys, some smart locks are available with keypads too. This addition can be especially handy if your guests are a little older or if they don’t have smartphones. The codes used for entry are unique to the guest and can be changed once they check out, so you’re ready for the next guest.
Not only do smart locks offer enhanced security for both the guest and the host, but they also offer convenience. In a post-pandemic world, some people are a little more sceptical about close contact. Installing a smart lock can alleviate these fears, and there’s no need to ever have to see your guests in person, unless there is a reason to.
This also means that if your guests are running late, or if you own multiple holiday lets with similar check-in times, you can simply drop a digital key or code to their phones and not have to worry about meeting them at the property.
Safe and Secure
One of the significant benefits of installing a smart lock is the ability to monitor who comes and goes from your property. It allows you to check on your holiday let remotely, to see if anyone has gained access when no one is booked in. If there’s any unexpected activity, you will receive alerts straight to your smartphone, putting you in complete control of who has access to the property.
If you know your property is going to be left empty for a couple of days or weeks during off-peak season, then it might be worth investing in smart lighting to go alongside your smart lock.
Smart locks are versatile too, and can be paired with other smart home equipment, such as lighting. When you know the home is empty and nobody else will be entering, you can turn on the smart lighting with the tap of a button to make it look as if someone’s home, giving you extra peace of mind. It’s also possible to set to a timer or control the lighting through your app, allowing you to manage when the lighting comes on, and goes off.