Wilkes Barre / Scranton, PA · Member since 2018 · 4 posts · 0 votes
I'm looking for recommendations for a WIFI programmable keypad doorlock and thermostat. Have an Air BNB / VRBO short term rental that is out of state and our property manager is technologically adverse so I would like to handle setting up the door lock PIN number using our WIFI. Would like a lock that can be set up to alert you, through your smart phone, when access has been attempted or at least keep a log of it. Would also like to set the thermostat remotely through WIFI. Nest looks good for this but I was looking for anything with better price points if possible. Any help or experience would be much appreciated.
Property Manager · Kansas City, MO · Member since 2018 · 280 posts · 221 votes
6y
@Kenneth McCormick hi there, the August lock would do what you’re looking for (make sure to get the keypad as well). August can be pricey and cause issues but it has the features you mentioned. I know many people who love it but I used it in two of my short term rentals and had many issues with it.
I switched to Remote lock and it’s been wonderful. You can’t lock or unlock from your phone but def worth looking into.
You will find a number of threads discussing smart locks and smart thermostats for Airbnb rentals.
I find the whole smart lock industry quite frustrating. It is very difficult to determine if the specific attributes you need in a smart lock will be available in the configuration you purchase before you actually purchase it.
You need a lock, a hub and an app in order to do anything remotely with a lock. We wanted the hub to be located further away from the rental unit than the bluetooth hubs used by such locks as August. Therefore, we needed to go with a Z-Wave compatible lock. We also wanted to be able to set up scheduled guest codes remotely. Also, the other thing we didn't like about August is that it really works best if the guest has a smart phone. Otherwise, you need to get the key pad and I heard there were lots of problems with the operation of the key pad. It kind of defeats the whole simple beauty of August.
We were told by the lock company that we'd be able to create scheduled guest codes remotely using a particular hub but when we put it all together, we discovered that the only smart phone app available for that particular hub did not have the functionality that would allow us to do ANYTHING other than lock and unlock the door and check on the battery level remotely.
Determine what functionality you want from a smart lock and then try to find someone who actually has a set up with all that functionality.
Real Estate Agent · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2014 · 683 posts · 317 votes
6y
Check out Operto. I was at VRMA this year and they had a booth there to showcase their auto system for keyless door control and other smart home feature.