Automating Short-Term Rentals: The Birth of Rental Home Automator

Our team started managing short-term rental properties back in 2014. We got our start with a single home that was on a lake 7+ hours away from where we lived. The distance and our initial guests taught us some valuable lessons, and over time we’ve learned a lot more.

As we started to make changes to our property, we also got involved with more short-term rentals, eventually reaching over 70 properties in Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois and Florida. Throughout this journey, we tried lots of different approaches, tools, services and methods. It became evident to us that having a successful short-term rental meant we needed to automate as much of each property as we could.

If you look online, most of the articles you’ll read talk about “automating your pricing” or “automating your operations” – but we’ve found the most impactful thing you can automate relate to equipment and devices on site at your short-term rental. We’ve come up with some unique solutions on how to effectively use smart home devices to make things run smoother and protect your vacation rental asset.

The Challenge of Automation

As we searched for viable solutions to streamline operations, we encountered a common issue: affordable and comprehensive automation tools are mutually exclusive. Many available options lacked the features we needed to effectively manage our diverse set of needs, and they became very expensive as our setup became more sophisticated.

The Creation of Rental Home Automator

Faced with this challenge, we finally decided to take matters into our own hands and develop Rental Home Automator. Our app is a low-cost solution which allows property owners to control all the smart devices in short-term rentals or Airbnb properties, ensuring everything is prepared for guest arrivals and reverted after departures—all automatically. Key features include:

• Smart Door Codes: Easily program unique door codes for guests to enhance security and convenience.
• Automated Utilities: Control the water or well and turn devices like heated floors on and off automatically based on your rental, cleaning & maintenance calendars.
• Temperature settings: Adjust the home to the right temperature before the guest arrives, and also set temperature limits and settings lock-outs so you don’t end up with a frozen A/C, the HVAC system turned off, or crazy utility bills at the end of the month.

We also believe that just providing the automation tool isn’t enough – instead, we should share our knowledge on the best devices, setups, and know-how that we have gained over the years. As a result, we have created an extensive knowledgebase with advice and step-by-step guides which we provide to all of our subscribers.

Integration with Leading Platforms

To ensure broad compatibility and functionality, we chose to integrate with SmartThings, recognized as one of the largest and most comprehensive smart home platforms available. Additionally, we’ve incorporated ICS calendar integrations to ensure compatibility with almost all reservation systems and channels.

Our aim is to continue building integrations with various partner organizations as we progress. The existing integrations empower us to automate nearly every necessary function for vacation rental properties, bringing us closer to our vision of streamlined management.

In addition, we are working on integrations with systems like Breezeway. By pairing these solutions together, your short-term rental’s smart devices can be seamlessly synced with your operations – ensuring your property is always ready for guests, cleaning & maintenance, and always shut off properly when the home is vacant. These combined features are the key to creating a more passive operational infrastructure so you can focus on other parts of your vacation rental experience.

Rental Home Automator is not just a solution for automating the routine tasks at your short-term rentals; it represents a shift in how short-term rentals can be efficiently operated in this digital age. We are proud to be one of the leaders in this innovative approach, making it easier for property owners to enjoy their investments while providing guests with exceptional experiences. As we continue to develop our app and explore new integrations, we remain committed to our vision of enhancing the short-term rental landscape.