Best Smart Home Devices for Vacation Rentals 2023

Smart home technology is here to stay, and vacation rentals are taking advantage of it. According to Parks Associates, 65% of prospective tenants report that pre-installed smart devices are an amenity they look for. In short, smart home conveniences are becoming a guest expectation. With every passing year, more and more smart technology is being developed to continue to improve your guest experience and streamline property management.

So which Smart Devices should you take advantage of in your vacation rental?

To help you in your discovery process, we have compiled a list of the top smart home devices for vacation rentals in 2022 to save you time, and money, minimize risk and improve the guest experience.

1. WiFi

   This may be obvious and not a smart device per se, but the number one smart home technology and an absolute necessity is reliable WiFi. Most smart home accessories will need WiFi to connect to the internet. And importantly, readily available WiFi access to the internet is a guest expectation.
   
   

2. Smart locks

   Smart locks provide contactless entry and can be operated remotely. For example, updating pin codes with each new guest is handled via a software application—no costly site visits are required. And enabling guest as well as service access is a breeze. For an in-depth look at features and benefits, we've reviewed the Schlage Encode Smart Lock here.

3. Smart thermostats

   Smart thermostats enable short-term vacation rental property managers to save big on energy costs. When no one is home, temperatures can be manually adjusted. Before guests arrive, managers can turn up the heat to ensure a welcoming first impression. Some versions of smart thermostats are also smart enough to detect when no one is home and adjust the temperature accordingly.

4. Smart TVs

   Whether binge-watching the latest series or delving into their next movie marathon, vacationers look for a smart tv before they rent. And not surprisingly, guests particularly like to have access to their own existing streaming accounts so they can pick up watching where they left off. To provide streaming access, another option for vacation rental owners is providing an HDMI cable and asking guests to bring their streaming devices. Not as elegant as the smart TV option, but doable.

5. Noise detectors

   Although everyone loves a party, one of the biggest concerns for vacation rentals is tenant noise and neighbor disturbance. With noise detectors, property managers are alerted to noise levels that are above HOA guidelines levels. Guests are also alerted when they exceed the noise limit so they can stop any disturbances before they occur.

6. Smart water leak detectors

   Water leak detectors minimize risk for vacation rental owners and insurance companies alike. They can save owners hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs by catching leaks early on, alerting owners, and shutting off the water supply.

7. External security cameras

   External security cameras keep owners appraised of visits to the front door and help tenants feel secure. They come in both battery-operated camera versions and hard-wired camera versions. We recommend investing in hard-wired since most rentals are remote, and battery management is time-consuming and costly.
   
   

8. Smart lighting and smart switches

   Smart lighting—both eternal and external—can improve the guest experience, save real dollars in energy spending and improve security. Although internal smart lighting is evolving, there are usability factors that are worth considering. Renters can unknowingly unplug smart lights or turn the power off to an interior smart light which takes control away from the owner or property manager.

   Still, the benefits can outweigh the risks, such as having the ability to set mood lighting depending on the time of day and turn lights on and off when tenants are not at home.

9. Smart accessories

   There are too many smart accessories to cover in this article, but one accessory we can recommend based on consumer demand is bedroom lamps with USB charging ports. Why not give your vacation rental 5-star resort appeal? You may be thanked with a radiant review from your guests.

Bringing it all together

If you have your own favorite smart devices or accessories, feel free to leave recommendations in the comments. If you are interested in creating an exceptional guest experience for your properties as well as saving time and improving NoI by leveraging smart home devices, contact us. We'd like to explore the possibilities with you and your team.