Locks for Airbnb

We’ve spoken about smart locks before, discussing how useful they can be, and what their drawbacks are. That article had one crucial omission, and that’s Airbnb.

Without Airbnb, smart locks would be quite niche

Smart locks are cool, but without a proper purpose, they can be a bit gimmicky. Manufacturers advertise the fact that it’s super easy to let strangers, e.g. tradesmen, into the house without physically needing to be there.

This can be practical, but how often do normal people have tradesmen appointments each year, and how many of those appointments are with people who are familiar enough with your home that they don’t need you to show them where everything is?

Mostly, smart locks are shiny and fancy, but are only really useful in niche situations. That is, until Airbnb became a thing.

Everyone runs their Airbnb pad in different ways. Some like to meet and greet their tenants, while many prefer a more hands-off approach. But the handover of keys is always a problem. Where do the tenants get the keys from?

You either have to hand them over in person (or get someone else to do this for you), or you can keep the keys in a keysafe outside the property. There’s nothing wrong with either of these solutions, really, but each has its disadvantages. Being there in person means that you need to plan around your guests, and can’t be a million miles away when guests arrive. The keysafe requires you to make sure, regularly, that the tenants put the keys back into the keysafe.

Smart locks are much more elegant.

You can allow full access via a smartphone app

It’s quite remarkable, but nowadays you can get motorised smart locks that can be opened just by tapping buttons on an app. All you need to do is ask your guests to download an app. You can then grant them an access pass that gives them access only for as long as their stay.

You don’t need to be there at any point. And if there’s a problem with the tenant’s smartphone (e.g. if they’ve run out of battery), all it takes is for them to send you an email or call you (using a neighbour’s phone, obviously) and you can open the door remotely for them.

And in the truly unlikely event of a total system failure, you can still get in with a traditional key.

At last, a true reason to own a smart lock!

Far from being a gimmick, this application for smart locks will make your life as an Airbnb host much easier. And short-term lets are here to stay. Perhaps it’s time to consider fitting one to your property.