Self Check-In for Vacation Rentals: How Smart Locks Can Help

Type "most searched amenities by Airbnb guests" into Google. Here is what you will find:

Unsurprisingly, self check-in and therefore self check-out are in the TOP 10 most searched amenities by travelers, after Wi-Fi, free parking, pool/hot tub, air conditioning, and washer. Some travelers are even willing to pay more per night or an extra fee to have access to this very useful service.

The Benefits of Self Check-In

• Reduced effort to manage your property: with autonomous arrivals and departures, you no longer need to worry about guest arrival times to hand over keys or open the door. This saves you time and allows you to focus on other aspects of your business or personal life.
• Enhanced guest experience: travelers appreciate the flexibility, smoothness, and simplicity of automated entry and exit management. They can arrive and leave at their convenience without having to schedule an appointment or call the owner for a key exchange. Guests often request late arrival because their arrival time may depend on train or flight schedules or traffic encountered on their journey.
• Flexibility for guests who want to arrive at different times: with automated arrival and departure management, guests can arrive at times that suit them, even if these do not correspond to the property owner's or concierge service's regular working hours.

3 Solutions for Autonomous Arrival and Departure

If you are launching a vacation rental today without an automated entry and exit system, you are shooting yourself in the foot! For example, in my host reviews, the 100% autonomous check-in is always in the TOP 3 of the most appreciated features of the property!

But how do you add a self check-in service to your Airbnb? Here are 3 solutions:

• Concierge service: this solution involves paying someone to handle guest reception and key handover. However, this can be costly and impractical, especially for small properties or owners who do not have much time.
• Key lockbox: these boxes allow you to store keys securely and hand them to guests automatically. However, they can be less secure and not very attractive-looking, which can be an issue for owners who want to offer a high-quality experience to their guests. Another risk: the traveler (or cleaning staff) must remember to put the keys back in the lockbox at the end of their stay and close it properly. Which is not always straightforward!

Hardware stores like Leroy Merlin have a dedicated section for secure coded key lockboxes. They can be wall-mounted or attached to a post, stair railing, gate, or door handle.

• Smart locks: for me, this is a MUST HAVE. These connected locks allow you to manage arrivals and departures automatically using a mobile app or keypad. They are particularly popular among Airbnb owners because they offer great flexibility and enhanced security.

Smart Locks for Your Airbnb Rental

There is a huge selection of smart locks available today. Personally, I chose the Nuki brand smart lock.

The big advantage of this lock is that it is installed inside the property and therefore not visible from the outside. But then how do you open the door? There are several solutions: via a mobile app, a small keypad that you can install outside, a badge, or even a fingerprint scanner. All these systems allow you to activate the smart lock.

Another important thing to know: since these locks are connected to the internet, you can also activate them yourself remotely via the mobile app.

Good to know: smart locks can be installed on most existing door locks, meaning you do not need to replace your current lock.

Personally, I chose the keypad option installed outside my Airbnb. This way, I send the autonomous check-in instructions to my guests 24 hours before their expected arrival time and share the smart lock code (which I change remotely after each guest, of course!).

Interested in this topic of autonomous Airbnb check-in using smart locks? Want even more details on the technical connections needed for automated entry and exit? I invite you to watch my dedicated video: