Smart home technology is quickly becoming a feature of daily life. As of 2022, 57.4 million households in the US use smart home devices at least once a month.
So, one of the best ways to upgrade your properties is to invest in smart home technology for vacation rentals.
Guests will enjoy the familiar comfort and convenience of technology, and you’ll be able to reduce your costs, save time, and boost profits and security.
Wondering how to implement smart home technology in your rental property? In this article, we’ll talk about the benefits of home automation for hosts and guests and some of the best smart home tools for vacation rentals.
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The benefits of smart home technology for vacation rentals
Guests now expect to have access to technology that makes life easier while on vacation.
Smart home technology has many benefits for hosts and guests alike, and can help you:
- Give guests more independence — Technology can empower guests to check in, discover the property and explore the local area without needing your help.
- Save time — You won’t need to meet guests in person to hand over keys, explain how appliances work or answer questions.
- Elevate the experience — Technology can create a more luxurious experience for your guests throughout their stay.
- Retain control of your utility costs — Smart gadgets can help you prevent overspending on energy costs (and reduce your environmental impact).
- Keep your property safe — Smart locks and alarms can help prevent break-ins and accidental damage.
Now, we’ll look at the best smart home tools to achieve those benefits.
The best smart home tools for your vacation rental
If you’re ready to embrace smart home technology, we’ve created a list of some of the best tools for your vacation rental.
You don’t need to install all of these tools at once. But you can use this list as a guide to some of the most effective and beneficial technologies that will please your guests and make your life easier.
1. Self-check-in
Self-check-in gives your guests a stress-free way to access your property and start enjoying their stay. It’s also much easier for you as there’s no need to meet your guests in person and hand over the keys.
Guests can check in using an app on their phones which will give them access to a lockbox where they can retrieve the property keys. Alternatively, you can also give access to the property through a code if you are using smart locks.
Some apps also allow you to scan and verify your guests’ identity documents.
There are plenty of self-check-in apps for vacation rentals, including:
2. Smart Locks
Smart locks are electronic locks that you open with a code. Using this technology, you can grant access to your property remotely by sending your guests a unique authentication code instead of a physical key.
You can activate the virtual key for the duration of their stay and generate a new code for each booking.
Smart locks are secure because they can’t be copied like a traditional key, and you can change the code as often as you like.
Here are some smart lock providers:
Includes Smart Locks & Keyless Entry.
3. Smart TV
With a smart TV, guests can catch up on their favourite movies and series on streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime.
You can either invest in a new smart TV, or upgrade yours with an Apple TV, Roku or Chromecast.
Then, you can provide instructions for guests to log in to their own accounts when they arrive. This means they can continue where they left off with their favourite shows, and you won’t have to pay for all the accounts.
4. Digital Guidebooks
A digital guidebook or welcome book contains practical information about the property, check-in and check-out details, and things to do and see in the local area.
Useful Apps for Rental Businesses.
It’s a convenient and engaging way to provide guests with relevant information. They can access it from their phones, and you’ll probably find that they ask fewer repeat questions as they can easily find answers on their own.
You can customise digital guidebooks with your branding and easily update them when necessary. Plus, you can translate it into multiple languages with no need to print physical copies.
Welcome books are a useful tool for guests, and you can even use them to upsell and cross-sell products and experiences.
Here are some great tools to help you create a digital guidebook:
5. Home Assistants
Installing a voice assistant like Amazon Echo (Alexa) or Google Home instantly makes your home feel modern and functional.
Works with Amazon Echo.
Guests can play their favourite tunes, find recipes, get the weather forecast and discover the local tourist attractions through voice search.
While it’s certainly not a must-have for every home, a voice assistant can be a great smart home technology for vacation rentals.
6. Smart Security Systems
As well as improving the experience for guests, smart home technology can keep your vacation rentals safe.
With a smart security system, you can increase property security and give your guests peace of mind.
A smart security system could include smart locks, a video doorbell and motion sensors for doors and windows.
Here are some smart security system providers for vacation rentals:
7. Smart smoke and water alarms
As well as protecting your home from intruders, you can use smart home technology to prevent fires and floods in your vacation rental.
A smart smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector can save lives and protect your property by sending alerts to your phone, even when you’re not at home.
After installing the alarm and an app on your phone, you will receive an alert if fire, smoke or toxic gas is detected.
Smart water alarms can be placed in locations around the home where leaks could happen, for example, in the bathroom or around washing machines and dishwashers. If there’s a leak, you’ll receive an alert through the app.
Here are some examples of smart alarms you can install in your property.
Smoke alarms:
Water alarms:
8. Smart Thermostats
As a host, you want your guests to enjoy a comfortable temperature at all times on your property. However, you don’t want to be left with sky-high electricity bills because guests have been blasting the air con in every room or leaving the heating on while they’re out of the house.
Smart thermostats and energy-use control systems can help combat this problem without sacrificing comfort.
With a smart thermostat, you can monitor and control the property temperature remotely. This means you can cut your energy costs and reduce your impact on the environment.
As well as controlling the temperature manually, you can create customised settings to keep your home at the right temperature.
Here are some smart thermostat tools:
9. Noise Monitoring
If your guests throw a party in your vacation rental, you could end up with damaged furniture, broken appliances and problems with your neighbours.
You can prevent parties from happening in your rental property by installing a noise monitoring system.
Noise monitors don’t record audio inside the home, so they comply with booking site regulations and rental property laws.
However, you’ll receive an alert if noise levels exceed a certain threshold, which indicates that a party is happening. Some noise monitoring tools also sense if there are more people than there should be in the property.
Here are some examples of noise monitoring alarms:
10. Smart Lighting
Streamline Housekeeping Processes.
An intelligent lighting system can bring an extra “wow” factor to your vacation rental and make life easier for you as a host.
You can ensure that lights aren’t left on once guests check out. When your property is vacant, you can set up automation so that your lights come on periodically, giving the illusion that someone is home.
Phillips Hue bulbs are a great option for a smart lighting system which can be controlled via a smartphone app or switch.
Elevate your properties with smart home technology for vacation rentals
There are many ways to update and modernise your vacation rental using smart home technology.
With the right tools, you can provide a more luxurious experience for guests, and at the same time, benefit from reduced costs, better security, and even get more 5-star reviews.
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