6 Coolest Smart Tools for Seamless Short-Term Rental Management

Rental technology, such as smart home gadgets, offers a range of benefits for both hosts and holidaymakers.

13:27 28 September 2020

If you’re starting your own vacation rental business, or are thinking about upscaling your current rental property, don’t overlook the value of vacation rental technology. Aside from wowing your guests with your swanky tech collection that will make their stay more enjoyable, cool gadgets for short-term rental hosts can also make property management a lot simpler!

 

Discover how home automation for renters can simplify rental management, as well as what tech must-haves you should get for your home. 

 

Smart Locks 

 

Smart locks are a safe and convenient way of protecting your property and simplifying the check-in process for your guests. The best smart lock for a vacation rental should utilize an authenticated wireless sign-in system instead of keys. This enables guests to check-in at any time of day or night without the hassle of trying to locate hidden keys. 

 

Smart locks and Airbnb lockboxes also encourage contactless check-in which is becoming a popular preference of guests and also means you don’t have to be there in person every time a guest books your rental.

 

Noise Detectors

 

As vacation rental owners, we’d like to think that our guests will always be honest and responsible, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Certain guests could take advantage of your rental and throw illegal parties or invite strangers over. Not only does this increase the risk of property damage, but it also could result in complaints from your neighbors. 

 

A smart property management solution is to utilize vacation rental technology like a noise detector for your rental. Noise detectors work by tracking overall noise levels through decibel registration. The detector will notify you only if it records decibels above a certain level for an ongoing period. The noise detector monitors sound decibels but doesn’t record guests’ conversations, so guests can rest assured their privacy will not be compromised. 

 

Smoke Detectors

 

Installing a smart smoke detector will minimize the risk of any fires damaging your rental property, or endangering the safety of your guests. A regular smoke detector will alert you should there be any smoke detected in your rental, whether it’s a genuine fire hazard or a guest breaking your house rules by smoking indoors. 

 

The benefit of installing a smart detector is that they are able to send an immediate notification to your phone if the smoke alarm is triggered, so you can take swift action. Many smart detectors will also notify you when the batteries need to be replaced, or if there’s a technical glitch with the sensor. 

 

Smart Lighting

 

Smart lighting is on the list of vacation rental must-haves, lending a sophisticated touch to your rental while also being economical. Most smart lights can dim or brighten based on sound or time of day and don’t require a switch. Some lights can even change colors and play music or the radio! 

 

Smart lights can be controlled remotely via a wireless connection, or an app. This can come in handy if guests forget to switch off lights when they go out or after they have checked out. Smart lighting can also help protect your rental against theft by activating at night to deter any burglars. 

 

Smart Thermostats

 

During summer your guests may leave your air conditioning running, or the heating on during winter. This generates a lot of energy, and could result in a pricey monthly bill! Smart thermostats are a vacation rental technology that offers regulation and home automation for vacation rental temperatures and is a great way to reduce energy consumption.

 

If your guests are due to arrive in the middle of winter or in the high heat of summer, you can also set your smart thermostat to switch on before they check-in, to ensure a comfortable arrival. 

 

Virtual Assistant

 

Virtual assistants should be on your list of Airbnb must-haves, as they’re becoming an increasingly popular property management tool for vacation rental hosting. Smart assistants like Alexa or Siri can be programmed to share check-in and safety information to guests on arrival, facilitating a smooth check-in process. They can also provide an inhouse tour of the rental and act as a personal concierge to guests, greatly enhancing the guest experience. 

 

Vacation Rental Software

 

If you’re using vacation rental technology to manage your rental, you should definitely be utilizing similar smart tools to run your business. Vacation rental management software, like iGMS, is essential for streamlining and overseeing all business operations. For property managers, running a vacation rental business means staying on top of various daily operations, which can quickly become overwhelming. 

 

Automating tasks like guest communication, cleaning, and maintenance, check-ins, financial reporting, sending reviews, and managing your listings on a vacation rental channel manager ensures your business runs optimally. This saves you time, allowing you to develop and expand your operations while resting assured that all business matters are taken care of and your guests are receiving excellent service. 

 

Conclusion

 

Providing a range of vacation rental technology to modernize your rental will offer a more memorable and sophisticated experience for your guests. Smart tools will elevate your guests’ experience, and also make managing your rental simpler and more convenient.