With the rise of “smart” devices and the ever growing connectivity of everything around us, vacation rental owners are finding it easier than ever to manage their properties from a distance.

One aspect of managing a vacation rental that can be a major burden to homeowners is property access. Providing travelers with a way to enter your home on a temporary basis often involves complicated logistics like mailing keys, changing lock-box codes, or meeting guests in the middle of the night.

To help you understand how connected devices can simplify this chore, we asked John Cargile from LockState to provide some insight into the benefits and evolution of keyless lock systems.

Vacation rental access solutions are changing the way homeowners manage and monitor their properties. Implementing a connected lock system at your rental property will allow you to improve the security of your home, minimize the time you spend coordinating access, and eliminate the risk of guests being unable to enter your property.

Vacation rental owners are using smart locks to:

1. Manage access remotely by providing guests with lock codes after they book the property
2. Limit the amount of time codes are valid to the duration of a guest’s stay
3. Limit access for cleaning and service companies to the specific times they need to be in the home
4. Adjust access timeframes whenever guests decide to extend their stay
5. Lock or unlock doors remotely if necessary
6. Use keypad codes to keep the guest experience simple and positive

The Evolution of Keyless Access Control and Connected Locks

For decades, vacation rental owners and managers have strived to improve the guest experience by making things simpler. The evolution from keys to smart locks has looked something like this:

• Mechanical keypad locks eliminated the need for keys but didn’t allow for multiple user codes
• Electronic locks offered multiple user codes but lacked remote management capabilities and time-based credentials
• Algorithmic locks delivered remote management and scheduled permissions but with no real-time control or notifications
• Connected locks using Zigbee or Zwave wireless technology provide immediate control and alerts but require additional bridges and networking expenses
• Connected locks using WiFi technology can be managed on existing networks and are cost effective to implement

Selecting the Right Smart Lock

One of the most popular solutions in the smart lock space is the algorithmic lock, which does not require an internet connection to manage the property. Algorithmic locks are pre-programmed with thousands of temporary or permanent codes that can be provided to users. With this solution, you can input specific times within the software that manages the lock and provide your guests with a code that is only valid during their stay.

Recently, more and more homeowners are gravitating towards WiFi enabled locks. WiFi is now commonplace in vacation rental properties and connected locks offer immediate control over access codes. The ability to leverage an existing WiFi network is a huge advantage that eliminates the expense and hassle of installing a separate radio frequency network just for your lock system. Further evidence of the growing support for the WiFi standard in connected devices can be seen with smarthome platforms such as Apple HomeKit and Google OnHub.

Power Management and Battery Life

What about power management and battery drain? This is the most common message from large home automation companies — WiFi won’t work because it drains batteries too fast.

Devices, like the RemoteLock 6i, communicate through the regular Wi-Fi network, however they’re not always connected to this network. Once a lock is connected to the network, the lock will begin checking in with servers at a regular interval called a “heartbeat”.

Each time the lock connects it will check for new commands, such as locking or unlocking the door or receiving a new schedule or user code. This heartbeat interval is used to save battery power in the lock. The lock also wakes up and automatically connects to the server the moment the keypad is touched.

For instance, if you have someone outside the house that you wish to let in immediately, but don’t want to give them a code, simply unlock the door from your smartphone, then instruct that person to press any button on the keypad to unlock the door.

What if WiFi or internet connectivity goes down?

WiFi locks always store every access code directly on the lock. So if the internet goes down, no problem, the lock still works and travelers still gain access using their codes.

Automated Solutions for Vacation Rental Owners

While the Internet of Things (IoT) is starting to “cross the chasm” with more people adding connected devices, home automation has traditionally been considered a luxury for consumers. Vacation rental owners, on the other hand, are able to eliminate multiple pain points through automated solutions.

For the first time ever, wireless locks – as well as, thermostats, cameras, sensors, and other solutions — are allowing vacation rental owners to remotely manage and monitor their valuable asset through smart phones and computers.

John Cargile is marketing manager at LockState, a Denver-based smart lock company. The company is a leader in the smart lock space with thousands of properties using their solutions globally.