Should I use smartlocks in my STR

Question

Are folks using these? If so how do you keep track of the codes and make sure it's ready for the next visitor? I've stayed at some STR's where the electronic door code didn't work and it was a real pain as we stood at the door waiting for help. I want to make sure if I install these kinds of locks that the experience is flawless for my guests. Any advice on how to proceed would most welcome.

Eddie Somerville · Answer

Smart locks on STRs are kind of critical. We have Kwikset and Yale. I like the interface of Kwikset better. These also let you check on the status of the lock, who opened it, when it was opened, and you can even lock it or unlock it from your phone (cleaners will forget to lock up sometimes).

As to changing the pin, you can set up a bunch of different pins and rotate them. Just change the pin in the message to the guests before check-in. Or purchase one of the locks on the market that automatically changes the pin and integrate that with your host tool app.

It sounds like your negative experience with other AirBnB locks may come from not changing the batteries often enough. We set a schedule to change them every 4 months just to be on the safe side. Most of the apps out there will have a power meter to let you know how much battery is left in the lock. If you see the battery level dip below 50% you could always get someone out to change the batteries and keep things working smoothly.

As always, having an extra set of keys for the locks is always important too.

Good luck!

Colleen F. · Answer

@Geoffrey Greene some smartlooks have backup keys you can use if the battery is low. Change the batteries frequently but also have an onsite lock box with the key in it. The schlage has a backup key.  you only tell them where the key is if you get a distress call.

Bonnie Low · Answer

Smart locks are absolutely worth it, but you still will want to use a lockbox with a key AS A BACKUP. Even though your smart lock app will monitor battery usage so you should have the ability to get the batteries changed before they go out, occasionally you may encounter a problem and will want that key for backup. For instance, one of our locks was at 65% battery life. We figured we'd change it before the next guest. But the current guest wasn't getting the door shut properly so the lock was trying repeatedly to connect. This went on for enough time to rapidly drain that battery life down to about 35%. That was way too low for my comfort. I was glad we were paying attention and could intervene, but if we hadn't been on it and it had drained further, our fallback would've been the key in the lock box. It's very easy to assign codes to individual users and to set the time frame in which they're activated and de-activated. And, as someone else mentioned, you can tell who is entering your property (cleaner, handyman, guest) based on the code that is entered. My one word of caution is if you're using a property management system like Hospitable or Hostfully or others, you'll want to buy smart locks that integrate with your PMS. This makes incorporating codes into pre-programmed messages much easier. Otherwise, you have to do it manually. I use both Schlage Encode and Kwikset smart locks and much prefer the Kwikset.

Melanie Thomas · Answer

Not very "smart" IMO. Good luck & happy investing!

Conner Olsen · Answer

Use the Schlage smart lock but always have combination backup lockboxes in case someone gets locked out or the Schlage doesn't work. The smart lock is worth it.

Dan H. · Answer

I have kwikset smart locks.  I like them except for their battery consumption.  I suspect the Wi-Fi interface drains the battery.

I have combination not smart locks and the battery lasts a very long time.

David Walton · Answer

I found this thread helpful regarding keyless/smart lock options: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/530/topics/1128640-best...

Geoffrey Greene · Answer

So you're not recommending smartlocks? Is this just a normal lock with a key in a lockbox? The issue here is code reuse and security right? With a smartlock I can rotate access codes easily over the web? I'm just trying to get a handle on if smartlocks are actually easier/worth it.

Russell Brazil · Answer

Just pay attention to the battery power so they dont die

Should I use smartlocks in my STR

Most Popular Reply