Tips From The Top

A lot of us are hosting these days. 

Maybe we’re sharing our vacation homes with family and friends. Maybe we’re renting to strangers passing through. Maybe we’re there – and maybe we’re not.

If we’ve jumped on the vacation rental bandwagon, whether it’s renting out a few rooms in our home or renting an entire vacation home or cottage, many are finding smart home technology makes our roles as hosts much more simple and secure. It makes the property that much enjoyable for our guests and for us.

Security is a top priority for those of us renting our vacation properties.

At the most basic level, a keypad with a pre-set code can give a guest access to the unit during their stay, and then shut off as soon as their time is up. No need to worry about handing over keys or getting them back at the end. After they leave, a separate access code can be given to maintenance staff to clean and make repairs and deliveries.

And there’s so much more possible. Smart cameras at the entry points can give you real time access to who is coming and going, no matter where you are in the world. If something unexpected happens, you can take a look to see what it is. Maybe a delivery driver arrived off-schedule and needs to be let in. Maybe a guest’s code expired before they’d vacated the property. With real time cameras at the doors and video door intercoms, you can see who is there and when, communicate with them, and grant them access, if you choose to. And again – you can do it from anywhere.

Smart sensors within the home can alert you to any disturbances - from water left running to a burst water pipe. With a smart security system, you can allow a maintenance person access to come in and remedy the situation asap. 

Lighting also plays an important role in security. You can leave a light on for your guests, program the outside lighting for safety, and make sure the lights are off when they leave. An automated smart lighting system allows you to preset lighting scenes to go on and off at specified times. When the house is empty, these scenes can mimic the presence of people and shift on different days, which can be a huge deterrent for anyone with malicious intent who’s waiting for the house to be unoccupied.

Smart climate control is also a necessity in a rental property. As you may already know, it’s vital for you as the owner to be able to control the climate from anywhere in the world. Having that access from your smart phone or tablet, and being able to modify conditions easily, reduces a lot of headaches. You can program climate conditions in advance and change them as needed to save energy and provide comfort. Plus, smart climate control guarantees a family with kids isn’t going to leave with the heat cranked to 90.

With so many rental properties on the market, offering extra amenities to your guests can set your home above the others. Smart TVs are a given, but how about distributed audio throughout the home, or smart home exercise options so that guests can bring their home fitness routines with them – or try a new one. And who doesn’t love a ready and waiting hot tub when they arrive? An automated smart platform can provide these extra touches, capturing a higher rate and excellent reviews. And maybe best of all, those amenities will be waiting for you whenever you use the property.

To learn more about how you can boost the value of your vacation rental property, call us at Jackson Hole AV. We’d love to discuss the possibilities.