The Best Smart Home Devices For Your Airbnb

As the popularity of Airbnb and short-term rental platforms continues to rise, hosts are seeking ways to elevate their properties and provide exceptional guest experiences. Smart home devices are an excellent way to achieve this, offering convenience, security, energy efficiency & monitoring. Here’s a rundown of some of the best smart home devices that can transform your Airbnb into a modern, hassle-free haven for travelers.

1. Smart Locks

The most popular smart device to add to your Airbnb is a smart lock for keyless entry, making check-ins and check-outs seamless. Hosts can generate access codes specific to each guest, ensuring they only have access during their rental. You’ll also want to have a physical key backup to make sure guests can get in even if something unexpected happens to the lock.

There are lots of options available on the market, but we highly recommend the Yale Assure Lock 2.

Our software is designed to automatically manage lock codes for your guests, automatically setting predictable codes you can communicate ahead of time without manual intervention, and automatically removing them after your guest’s departure.

2. Smart Water

One of the most important, but often not considered, smart device is the smart valve or well shut off. Controlling the water in your short term rental is the #1 way to prevent major damage according to short term rental insurance companies. Short term rentals are more likely to be vacant than full-time properties, and are therefore far more likely to have a water leak incident.

Shutting off the water when guests are not at your place reduces the risk of a leak occurring, and if it does, minimizes the damage caused. For this purpose, we recommend the Zooz Titan water valve. For properties with a well, we recommend powering off the well instead. Our step-by-step guides includes details for how to manage your well power with a smart system.

Rental Home Automator is the only smart home automation system designed from the ground-up to automate critical tasks, like water control, so you can ensure your property is safe anytime it is empty.

3. Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats like the ecobee3 Lite allow guests to control the temperature easily while allowing the host to reduce costs & protect their home. These devices can be programmed with temperature limits and can lock out certain features to make sure guests can’t control certain things (like completely turning the furnace off in the winter). They can also provide temperature warnings, HVAC alerts & remote access for hosts. Check out this article for a full rundown on why we recommend the ecobee3 Lite thermostat.

If you have multiple temperature zones throughout your home, we can make some other recommendations (depending on the setup). We have several recommended options outlined in our Recommended Devices section. If we don’t have your system type outlined, feel free to contact us and we’d be happy to help.

Our software is designed to manage your smart thermostats for you, ensuring your property is warm or cool before your guests arrive, and set for efficiency as soon as they leave.

4. Smart Security Cameras

Installing security cameras around the property helps monitor things and enhances security. However, many guests don’t like to feel like they are being watched and resist going to properties with too many cameras. You’ll want to check local laws on video recording and where you are allowed to place cameras. We recommend only utilizing cameras outdoors and in locked-off areas where guests shouldn’t be. You’ll want to make sure you communicate clearly with guests about camera locations to maintain transparency and trust.

One of the best locations for a camera at your Airbnb is a doorbell camera. The doorbell cameras are generally easy to install (since they already have power wires) and they connect wirelessly. The best thing about the doorbell camera is it will capture events at the entryway of your property, and is something many guests will be familiar with and comfortable seeing.

We recommend two doorbell cameras, depending on the complexity you desire:

• If you’re looking for simple and affordable, the Ecobee Doorbell is our recommended stand-alone device, offering smart detections and simplicity of installation.
• For more complex installations utilizing multiple cameras and video recording capabilities, we recommend the UniFi Doorbell Pro. Read more about our recommendations for the UniFi Ecosystem to control multiple aspects of your smart home in our dedicated article.

5. Smart Lighting

Smart lighting can take a bit more finesse to set up correctly, but can make a huge difference for your guests. Guests appreciate arriving to a few exterior and interior lights already on, providing a welcoming first experience with your property after dark. Our software can help you run routines to set the perfect welcoming environment for your guests to arrive to.

You may also consider making sure you can control lights which guests may (and likely will) leave on after their departure.

We’d recommend the Zoos Zen71 switches because you can turn them on and off remotely while still allowing the guests to turn them on and off as they please.

6. Smart Switches, Outlets & Plugs

For more behind-the-scenes applications, smart switches and plugs can be used in a ton of different ways to control devices around your house including lamps, fans, heaters, and dehumidifiers. We recommend these devices, specifically the smart plugs, for most of our behind-the-scenes applications since these scenarios are more difficult for guests to find and control if they want to adjust things to their liking.

For smart plugs, you can use the ThirdReality Smart Plug for simple applications like accent lights, and the Zoos Zen15 Smart Plug for heavy duty applications like a dehumidifier.

However, we would not recommend using a smart plug for any critical items where guests can access them, as guests can find and unplug them. For any exposed items, we recommend smart switches (preferred) or smart outlets, see our Recommended Devices page for more information.

7. Smart Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Exploring options to have a smart smoke detector can be a good idea for your Airbnb, but it can get complicated depending on local building code and safety regulations.

Our recommended smoke alarm is the Nest Protect, which can monitor for both smoke and carbon monoxide, and is available in both wired and battery models.

Another alternative to replacing the smoke & carbon monoxide detectors is to install a “listener” device which is a smart device which will listen for the alarms and notify you if one goes off. This is a great option to add a smart aspect without replacing or changing out your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Several of the Ecobee thermostats support this feature.

8. Streaming TV devices

Providing a TV with streaming capabilities is a great way to keep guests entertained. We recommend getting a streaming device and connecting it to your TV so you can replace your streaming device without needing to replace your TV.

Our recommended device is the Google TV Streamer, which can be connected wirelessly or via ethernet for more reliability and has a very simple to understand interface and remote control. Other devices such as the Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Apple TV will also work and allow guests to access their favorite streaming services with ease.

No matter the device you choose, ensure that you have clear instructions available on how to use the services that you offer, including instructions for using the remote control.

Also keep in mind that guests like to mess with the TV, so we highly recommend bundling your cables and attaching them in locations difficult for guests to access, and providing guests with easy access to plug in their own device. We have more details on how to be successful with your TV in our step-by-step guides section.

Incorporating smart home devices into your Airbnb can significantly enhance the guest experience while streamlining property management. From smart thermostats that improve energy efficiency to smart locks that simplify access, these devices not only create a modern, comfortable environment, but also provide additional security and convenience. By investing in these technologies, you can set your Airbnb apart from the competition, leading to positive reviews and repeat bookings.

Pair your smart home with our software, and embrace the future of hospitality, transforming your space into a smart getaway that travelers will love.