Smart Tech Tools for Your Contactless Vacation Rental Business

Smart lock for contactless meeting for Vacation Rentals

Technology unlocks more than your vacation rental’s front door; it gives you peace of mind, knowing your property is safe while reducing risks. At the tip of your fingers, smart devices allow you to operate your property from afar and stay contactless. They not only provide convenience for remote managing but also the ability to save you money and increase profits in the long run. According to an article by BusinessWire, “60% of guests indicate they would pay more for a vacation rental with a smart home feature.”

We put together a list of some popular, smart tech products for your property. Consider installing some of these smart technology devices to run your business more efficiently, eliminate potential risks to your short-term rental and increase your property’s appeal to guests.

The Most Important Smart Technology Devices for Your Vacation Rental Property:

1. Vacation Rental Welcome Apps

Instead of creating a paper welcome booklet, try switching to an app like TouchStay, Hostfully, or YourWelcome. These apps were specifically designed to be a customizable, contactless, tech-friendly option for your guests, allowing them to look at your welcome guest book anywhere, anytime. Some digital welcome book apps allow you to even load instructional videos for your guests as well as change the language of your text for your guests.

A few of these apps even present you with the opportunity to make a little more cash by upselling local businesses. Within many of these apps, you can provide maps to your favorite restaurants with outdoor seating, shops, and entertainment services so your guests can have a direct route without having to transfer your printed instructions into maps on their phones.

These apps do come with a small monthly fee - anywhere from $12.00 to $19.99.

2. Smart Locks

A great way to save time, money, and the worry of your guests losing a key or even making a duplicate of one, is using a smart lock. When you make the switch to a keyless entryway or fob, you are able to create temporary access codes for your guests. These access codes can be sent through text or found in your entry email, making it so you don’t have to drop off a key or leave it in a lockbox. During these times, a touch-free and contactless interaction is recommended, and smart locks can help enable that.

As an added benefit, some smart locks have the option to set a timer so your guests can't arrive early, allowing adequate timing for cleaning between guests. Depending on your listing site, a vacancy period may be required to ensure your property is thoroughly sanitized.

According to BusinessWire, “Hosts (88%) and Guests (77%) agree that smart locks are safer than a traditional key, and 70% of Guests prefer having a smart lock at the property to avoid worrying about losing the keys.”

Not sure which smart lock is the right fit for you? Check out this article.

3. Camera & Video Doorbells

As an added safety precaution, many vacation rental home owners have been purchasing video doorbells for their properties. These doorbells automatically notify your phone through an app when someone is in range of the camera.

If there are noise complaints or unaccounted for additional guests at the house, this is a great way to deter that behavior and provide video proof.

You can also speak to anyone through the doorbell. If you do this to welcome your guests, make sure to let them know upon arrival so as not to spook them! This is a great option, especially during the pandemic when you cannot meet your guests in person at the property.

4. Smart Thermostat

Reducing energy bills in your vacation rental can be hard to accomplish. Smart thermostats help regulate the temperature even when it’s the middle of the summer or dead cold of winter. As a host, you can set your own restrictions regarding the temperature instead of letting your guests crank it up.

Let’s not forget about the time in between guests. These thermostats can track whether or not people are staying at the property and adjust the heating and cooling accordingly.

5. Smart Lighting

Smart lighting can add a luxe tech feeling to your vacation rental property that your guests will love. Plus, it gives you the benefit of being able to check and turn off lights that were left on when your guests vacate. They also allow you to leave lights on when you do not have a home full of guests to give the appearance someone is home. This can help reduce the risk of someone burglarizing your property.

6. Virtual Assistant

With devices like Alexa or Google Home, your guests have their own personal concierge. Not to mention, it doubles as a speaker to enhance the experience at your property. If you wanted to go the extra mile, you can program different requests and responses for your guests. It could easily be used as an additional resource for your welcome booklet.

7. Flo Water Leak Detector

To help reduce your risk of a leak, Flo by Moen can help detect them and control your home’s water at your fingertips. Leaks are common, and this type of technology can shut off your water at the main pipe. For your peace of mind, they run daily diagnostics and health tests to ensure your property is leak-free.

8. Nest Smoke Alarm

Your smoke alarm is sounding although no one is at the property. When something goes amiss, having a Smart Smoke Detector will send an alert to your smartphone in the event of an unforeseen emergency. Nest Protect takes detecting smoke to the next level. It's sensors can detect if someone is smoking at your smoke-free environment. Having one or more smoke and carbon monoxide detectors is crucial. Installing a smart smoke detector allows you to be alerted at the first sign of trouble.

9. Smart Plugs

Guests will not unplug every appliance after they leave - space heaters, toasters, fans, etc. Smart plugs give you the opportunity to turn off the outlet so you don’t have to drive to your property and unplug everything. They also give you the option to set your plugs on a timer.

10. NoiseAware

Noise complaints and neighbor issues are common challenges that short-term property owners have to deal with. Companies like NoiseAware, help detect sound in and around your property. This can help see if your guests are being too loud, or if damage is occurring within your property so that you can react promptly to prevent further issues.

Updating your vacation rental property with tech gadgets will not only help you save more money, but also keep you and your property safe. If you are interested in reading more about protecting your business and mitigating risks with smart products, check out our blog post, Is Your Vacation Rental Safe and “Smart”?

Find out more about how CBIZ Vacation Rental Insurance can protect you from the risks you face when renting your property. Request a free quote today!

This blog may contain scenarios that are provided as examples only. Coverage is subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy issued. The information provided is general in nature and may be affected by changes in law or the interpretation of such laws. The reader is advised to contact a professional prior to taking any action based upon this information.