Owning a short-term rental property can be a profitable experience. Short term rentals are all the rage in popular tourist destinations like southern California, Central Florida, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Anything a property owner can do to enhance the experience helps. Enter Wi-Fi smart locks as a replacement for keyed deadbolts and handle locks.
One of the most fundamental aspects of owning a short-term rental is security. Unfortunately, keyed locks are a serious security issue inasmuch as having duplicate keys made isn’t that difficult. And of course, keys can also be lost. A Wi-Fi smart lock offers the same or better protection without having any keys in play.
More About the Smart Lock
A smart lock is an electronic lock that can be accessed without keys. Vivint Smart Home says that most smart locks still come with the key option just in case a battery dies or a homeowner forgets his access code. But under normal conditions, keys are unnecessary. Locks are activated and deactivated with a 4-digit PIN, a mobile device, or some sort of biometric mechanism.
In terms of Wi-Fi capabilities, it is about connecting a smart lock to a home’s main smart home hub. Wi-Fi connectivity means internet connectivity, and that means being able to access a smart lock remotely. Connectivity is what makes smart locks ideal for short term rental properties.
For the record, a smart lock can connect to a home automation system using any number of wireless protocols. Wi-Fi remains the most popular because it is reliable and mature. Most people know how to use it as well.
Why Remote Access Is So Attractive
At this point, you might be wondering what the big deal is about remote access. After all, short term rentals were moneymakers long before smart locks even existed. That is true. But technology has changed things. Not only that, but short-term rentals have exploded with the introduction of services like Airbnb. Property owners need to do everything they can to keep up with demand. They cannot be chasing people around to deliver and pick up keys.
Smart locks completely eliminate keys from the equation. A property owner does not even need to live locally to grant renters access. He can remotely program a new access code in advance of a guest’s arrival. He can inform the guest of that code via text messenger or email. And at the end of the guest stay, the code can be removed so as to prevent future access.
Property owners who hire third parties to manage their properties can also issue separate access codes to those managers. Then simply by monitoring when each code is used, they can tell who is coming and going at the property at any time.
Imagine working with a property management company you suspect is not doing what you are paying them to do. An arriving guest complains that the house is dirty, but your property manager insists it was cleaned the day before. You check your access logs and discover no one was on-site the previous day, so the property couldn’t have been cleaned.
Just a Better Way
Short term rental properties need to be secured like any other property. Traditional key locks are always an option. But Wi-Fi smart locks are just better. They represent a better way to secure a property without having to worry about the hassles that come with keys. Throw in remote access and you have a much better way to manage who comes and goes. Wi-Fi smart locks are definitely the way to go.
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