Vacation Rental Door Locks

Follow any vacation rental owners group, and you’ll see the questions about vacation rental door locks.  What is the best door lock?  How do I handle keys?  Which door locks allow me to change codes remotely?  And the list goes on.

This article is not written to debate the best vacation rental door lock for your property.  But you will discover solutions for four of the most frequent problems owners encounter with door locks.

Keyless Entry vs. Keys

There are a lot of additional headaches when using physical keys for vacation rentals.  Changing our key door locks to a coded keyless entry was the first change we made when we purchased our vacation rentals.

If you’re still using physical keys, you’re probably encountering some (if not all) of these problems:

• lost keys
• charging for lost keys
• mailing keys
• meeting the guest at specific times to drop off/pick up keys
• worry of guests duplicating the key

Unless you have particular circumstance, it would be best for you to make the switch to a smart lock or another form of keyless vacation rental door lock.

We use Lockstate Remote Locks, and they have worked great for both of our properties.

Vacation Rental Door Locks:  4 Problems to Avoid and the Solutions

1.  Don’t Rely on Keyless Entry Only

Recently, we had a guest lock all the doors (including the storm door) and left for lunch.  When returning, they couldn’t get back into the property.  We had to call the cleaner to bring a key to a back door and let the guests back inside the property.

Lesson learned.  Yes, we had a backup key with the cleaners, but the guest did not have access to it.

We have now installed this lockbox outside the property to keep a key to one of the other doors.  Hopefully, it never happens again, but in an emergency, we can give the guest the code to access the key in the lockbox.

Some problems you can avoid by having a lockbox key in addition to the keyless door code lock include:

• The guest accidentally locks themselves out of the property
• Guest code does not work
• Batteries are dead in the wireless door lock
• WiFi is down and causes problems with the code
• Keyless door lock is broken or malfunctioning

2.  Guests Who Forget Their Code or Can’t Get the Lock to Work

It happens.  Guests will forget their code, or not realize that important email they deleted included their vacation rental door lock code.  Or you’ll have guests who don’t know how to operate the coded door lock.

So, then what happens?  They call us.  Airbnb and Vrbo’s customer support cannot help a guest with this issue.

Here are some tips for avoiding these guest-related door lock problems.

• If your vacation rental door lock allows you to set a specific code, use the guest’s phone number or zip code.  These will be easier to remember than a random system-generated code.
• Send at least one other email, besides the one containing the code, that references when the code will be delivered by a separate email
• Include step-by-step instructions for how to use the code and work the door lock.
• Include instructions for locking and unlocking the door.
• Some locks allow the owner to unlock and lock the door remotely.
• If a guest continues to have problems with a code that isn’t working, delete the code and set up a new code.

3.  Poor WiFi Service or Signals or When WiFi Fails

Some vacation rental door locks rely on active WiFi to set up and use keyless entry codes.  With these types of vacation rental door locks, you must have a reliable WiFi service and signal.  Otherwise, your guest may not be able to access the property.

The downside to an all algorithmic lock (no WiFi required) is that most do not allow for customized codes and most cannot be controlled remotely.

The lock we use is a hybrid model.  LockState locks connect to Wifi at preset intervals throughout the day.  At each interval the lock syncs any new, changed, or deleted codes and any new, modified, or deleted guests and users.  If the WiFi is down, the sync will keep trying until the WiFi is back up.  The LockState door locks do not require WiFi to unlock the door at the time a code is entered.  The codes are preprogramable for the days and times selected during setup and the sync.

For hybrid locks, it is helpful to enter the guest code information in advance of the day of arrival.  Doing so allows sufficient time for the code to sync to the lock.  Waiting until the day of arrival can become a problem if the WiFi is not working during the sync process.

It is essential to know the reliability of your WiFi service and signal when choosing a vacation rental door lock.  Study the door lock functionality to be sure the lock you select meets the requirements for your property.

4.  Having Too Many Keys

Most vacation rentals still have some door locks that require a key.  For instance, doors such as a back door, garage, shed, or an owner’s closet usually do not have a keyless lock.

Having multiple properties, vehicles, and other keyed equipment can quickly create a problem with having too many keys.  We often waste time fumbling through the keyring looking for the right key.

Our keyrings become overloaded, and we start to resemble Snider, from the old TV show, One Day At A Time.  (I’m dating myself here.)

One way to eliminate some of your keys is to have the same brand of locksets for your vacation rental door locks.  For locks that are the same brand, many hardware stores can “key” the locks to the same master key.

Two of the most common master key systems are Schlage and Kwikset.  Ask your local hardware store representative if he or she can create a master key for your vacation rental door locks.  It will save you some weight in your pocket and save time and hassle with having just one master key.

Bonus Tip:  Software Integration and Email Automation

Airbnb, Vrbo, VacationRentalDesk.com, OwnerRez.com, and other software companies have integrated features with several popular vacation rental door locks.

Lock and software integration make it easy for owners to assign door codes and automated emails during the booking acceptance process.

In the software, owners can customize the automated emails containing the keyless entry code and include instructions for operating the lock.

It’s also handy to include some house rules regarding the door code, such as:

• Do not share the code with anyone outside of your group
• All door must be locked when leaving the property
• The code is active between (date, time) and (date, time)
• The door lock is programmed to auto-lock within (__ seconds/minutes) after the door closes

Popular Vacation Rental Door Locks

• Kwikset SmartCode 916 Series Zigbee Touchscreen Deadbolt, Satin Nickel (99160-008)

• Schlage Lock Company BE469ZP CAM 716 Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with alarm with Camelot Trim in Aged Bronze, Z-Wave Plus enabled

• August Smart Lock Pro + Connect Wi-Fi Bridge, 3rd gen technology – Silver, works with Alexa, HomeKit & Zwave

• Smart Lock, Wandwoo Electronic Door Locks with Bluetooth Mechanical Keys Auto Lock Enabled Anti-peep Code Adjustable Hand for Office Hotel Home Garage Apartment Silver

• Yale Assure Lock SL, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Deadbolt with Norwood Lever – Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit

• LockState LS-L5i-SN-B LeverLock RemoteLock WiFi Electronic Lever Door Lock-Satin Nickel

What door lock system are you using?  Is it working for you and your guests?  Let us know in the comments below.