How is a Vacation Rental work with airEkey Smart Lock?
A smart lock is an electromechanical (electronic and mechanical) locking device that allows a door to be opened wirelessly using authorized authentication such as a code. Basically, a smart lock allows a homeowner/property manager to allow guests access to the property without a traditional key. Property managers send guests a virtual key that provides access for a set time period (until checkout time).
Top 10 Benefits of Using a Smart Lock for Your Vacation Rental
airEkey Smart Locks provide advantages to both hosts and guests.
Because smart locks eliminate the traditional key, you and your guests don’t have to keep track of keys or worry about losing them. Residents can unlock their door with just a tap on their smartphone or share virtual keys with guests.
Round-the-clock check-in and check-out times may qualify your accommodation for the exclusive Airbnb Plus programme. 24/7 self check-in via the airEkey app or by entering a 6-digit entry code.
Your guest verifies their identity at online check-in, sign and complete their registration. You decide if this requirement is mandatory or optional.
Quite often guests are tired when they reach their place of booking and just want to get to their vacation rental without any hassle. Smart locks provide guests the privacy of entering their rented space without any fuss and relaxing immediately.
Lease apartments faster, cut down on labor costs, and see airEkey Smart Lock quickly. IOTaaS drives real revenue almost immediately for your multifamily properties.IOTaaS also puts you and your management in the driver’s seat, enabling greater control throughout your communities.
When used properly smart locks can provide an extra layer of security since guests can’t make a copy of a physical key which they can use to enter your property later on for example.
Some smart locks are capable of integrating directly into Airbnb listing calendar systems and making it even easier for you and your guests to manage their stay.
Smart locks are considered to be a part of the smart home. If your vacation rental is equipped with smart home technology such as smart thermostats and noise monitoring devices, the smart lock will make a valuable addition.
Smart locks that can integrate with your property management system (PMS) can be a huge advantage for property managers, acting as a trigger for automated messages to guests and cleaners for example. To truly benefit from smart locks however you need to ensure a smooth and easy self check-in process.
Create an email template in airEkey APP, choose your preference language with the below subject and body, and then create a trigger that sends this email template a certain number of days before arrival.
Home-sharing sites like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Tigets are popular choices for travelers looking for an authentic experience in a new city or something a little more price-friendly than a hotel. But as a home-share host, there are a lot of things to take into consideration before opening your home to renters. Most sites provide thorough home-hosting checklists to ensure that you will be comfortable as a host. A lot of those things revolve around making sure your guests will be comfortable and have all of the amenities they need. airEkey Smart Lock will help the house host to make their room smarter and safer with the security protection the system.. When hosting, it is generally smart that you include basics like bed sheets, a wi-fi password, and where the extra toilet paper is. But the most important consideration is getting your guests through the front door.
]]>Most manufacturers of electronic door locks offer retrofit solutions. This means that the Smart Lock is mounted onto the existing door cylinder. This is usually a much easier solution: if the lock doesn’t have to be exchanged, you can continue to use your old key. You will not incur any additional costs. If you move to a new house, you can simply bring along your Smart Lock to your new place.
Since the lock cylinder stays the same, a Smart Lock in no way alters the fundamental security features of your lock. Regardless of whether you use a Smart Lock or not, we always recommend investing in a high-grade, secure lock cylinder.
Many people feel insecure about installing smart locks and using their smartphones to unlock doors. What if my smartphone is stolen? How do I lock the door when the battery is dead? How can my child lock or unlock the door if they don't already have a smartphone? All these questions have simple answers. If you lose your smartphone, another authorised person can remove your access at any time - your personal digital key. This brings a big benefit: the entitlement can be withdrawn in seconds, and you don't have to replace the entire lock, which you would have to do if you lost a traditional key.
If your battery is dead or your residents don't have a smartphone, a few Smart Lock accessories can come in handy. For example, airEkey offers other means of entry: using an entry code or a small bluetooth remote. Of course, you can also continue to use the old key as an additional backup.
Many well-known manufacturers of electronic door locks, as well as the airEkey Smart Lock, offer access solutions installed on the inside of the door. This makes it impossible to recognize from the outside that a smart lock has been installed on the inside of your door. An excellent additional security feature that should also be considered when purchasing a smart lock.
All smart home products, including smart locks, are constantly under scrutiny because they are thought to be easily hackable. It is often difficult for a layperson to tell how well a particular Smart Lock model is protected from a dangerous hacker attack.
The security level of smart home products is a hot topic in TV and newspaper coverage. Many of these are tested in the laboratory under conditions that are very different from the everyday environment. This is why judgments are often incomplete and stir up additional insecurities.
They often publish their test reports on their blog, and smart lock manufacturers usually list these test certifications on their website. Another important security feature revolves around the transparency provided by the Smart Lock manufacturer about its encryption and data transfer protocols. For example, at airEkey, we blog about our end-to-end encryption concept.
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Hardworking moms have countless things to do throughout the day, from running errands to picking up their kids. At the end of the day, it's time to bring everything and everyone back to the house. The grocery bags were heavy and the kids were hungry and tired after picking them up from practice.
The airEkey Wi-Fi Smart Lock can provide that much-needed extra help. With Smart Lock's intelligent auto-unlock feature, the door responds as needed, so she never has to fumble for the keys again.
Often, the rush to leave home or return home for the night is filled with activity. From making sure everyone has their own backpack before school, to dealing with loads of work and after-school items when you return, it's easy to miss something.
Mom can take advantage of the airEkey Wi-Fi Smart Lock's voice assistant integration to save her. By asking "Alexa, can you unlock the door?" before leaving, or saying "Hey Google, please lock the door" when she gets home, access control and security may be one of the things she has to do. If you're looking for a gift for a mom with nothing, get her a top-notch multitasker.
Working moms often find themselves needing to be in both places when it comes to managing their home and career. She might be showing a client when the dog walker picks up Fido, or she might be stuck in a late meeting when the date night babysitter arrives. She knew putting the keys under the mat wasn't the safest option, but she had to get everything right. No other option - or is there?
Gifts for working moms are supposed to make life easier, and the airEkey Wi-Fi Smart Lock + Keypad is designed to be unique. With Smart Lock's advanced guest access, she can grant unlimited virtual keys or keypad codes to house cleaners, babysitters, or anyone else who needs to get in. She can even choose how long those digital keys will be valid, whether it's weeks, hours, or minutes. She no longer has to worry about lost, stolen or duplicated keys - it's a Mother's Day gift that pays off in the long run.
The airEkey Wi-Fi Smart Lock is a practical and unique Mother's Day gift for busy moms - even moms who don't want anything! Give her the opportunity to regain control of her busy schedule using a device designed to be her trusted friend. Whether it's coming and going, commuting or settling in, airEkey will keep hard-working moms through. We're here to help her do it all.
To most people, Bluetooth should be a well-known term, after all this type of transmission originated in the early 1990s. Compared to other types of connections, Bluetooth uses a method that is particularly well-suited for short distances. For example, when the smartphone is far away from the paired Bluetooth speaker, the connection is quickly interrupted.
Every Bluetooth-enabled device has a corresponding microchip, which in turn has a transmitter and receiver unit. Additionally, each device is assigned a unique number that is 48 bits long.
Of course, the technology has continued to improve over time and is no longer where it was more than 20 years ago. Released in 2016, Bluetooth 5.0 is said to have vastly improved coverage and doubled data rates.
Bluetooth relies on a simple and at the same time energy-efficient protocol. The standard is widely used in many things in everyday life: smartphones, speakers, headphones, controllers, and smart home devices such as the airEkey smart lock are just a few examples of its use. Therefore, this protocol standard is well suited for short distances.
For most devices, the standard replaces one thing in particular: the cable. In many cases, unsightly cable clutter is a thing of the past, and desks and gaming setups look much cleaner.
Although Bluetooth is the number one for short-range data transmission, it is also its biggest disadvantage. In addition to the limited scope, the limited amount of data is also a minus point. The new Bluetooth 5 standard (on which airEkey also relies) aims to remedy this shortcoming and enable large and fast coverage.
Connect your Bluetooth-enabled devices in just a few easy steps.
In the beginning, the device to be connected must have the corresponding Bluetooth function turned on. Also, the device must be visible to others in order to establish a connection. Then start the pairing process via the corresponding menu or key combination. These devices should be nearby. After a few seconds, the connection should be successfully established.
If you don't live near the property or can't be on call, handing over keys to guests can become a nerve-wracking task. Fortunately, you can automate the handover of keys in a number of ways.
If you have only recently become a host, we recommend that you perform at least five personal key handovers. Getting initial feedback from guests helps to better adapt to their needs. Maybe they're having a hard time finding a place to stay, or maybe the apartment is missing a few little things your guests still need to start their vacation worry-free. However, after five meetings, you should have received enough information from your guests to switch to self-check-in.
At this point, many landlords hide their keys in a specific location next to the front door. This variant is not recommended due to high uncertainty. Alternatively, the key can be passed on to a trusted acquaintance, or a company can be used to hand your key to a guest. It is much more convenient to use an electronic door lock, such as the airEkey Smart Lock or a key safe.
Especially when your holiday accommodation is fully booked, cleaning can take up most of your available time. Of course, this process will leave more funds in your account, but you can also use the time you free up in other ways. For example when optimizing your ads.
If you don't want to clean it yourself, you can hire a cleaner. It's both important and difficult to find someone who can work the way you want, and who can also schedule more time in a short period of time if necessary.
Probably the most expensive option is to hire a professional cleaning company. Bottlenecks can be solved here without any problems. However, the staff of a professional cleaning company may not be as individually responsive to your needs as the cleaners who are already familiar with your space.
Before you decide on an option, you should look at the cost/benefit ratio relative to your individual needs. Whether you're renting one or 20 accommodations can make a big difference here.
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The clear answer: the smart home. Admittedly, the 1:1 translation doesn't really help at this point. A smart home is an umbrella term for all the connected technological measures on your own four walls to improve comfort and (energy) efficiency. For example, this includes the networking of standard household appliances such as washing machines, heaters, blinds and lights.
This topic has long been stuck on simple "smart" sockets. More and more automation is entering everyday life. After the laundry is done, the washing machine will display a notification on the TV: Pie in the sky? No, now. Automatically open roller shutters at a certain time or turn off the heat as soon as you leave the house? This is also no longer part of pure utopia.
As is the case with technological progress, a common standard was not used from the beginning. Companies develop products and use them to try to dominate the market—often at the expense of customers. Who wants to rely on eight different standards from different companies to build a connected home? Should be the least.
Most homes have WiFi. So why not use the technology that everyone already has in their own four walls? Amazon, Google and Apple's voice assistants in particular rely on Wi-Fi.
Most people should also be familiar with this standard. Bluetooth was developed as a simple and energy-efficient point-to-point connection. Many people currently use Bluetooth with speakers or head phones. Our access solutions also rely on Bluetooth.
Many newcomers are also interested in the possibilities of smart home control. Manufacturers often provide detailed instructions or a separate app to set up the appropriate product. Therefore, most of the control is via mobile devices such as smart phones or tablets. However, more and more manufacturers are also integrating control options for voice assistants, further adding to the convenience. Turning off the lights with one simple sentence is now more convenient than finding an app on your smart phone, opening it, and turning the lights off.
The preset routines work better and run entirely on their own later. An example of this is blinds that open automatically at specific times or the linked process of certain smart home actions, such as turning off lights, turning off the heat, and locking doors simultaneously with a single command.
Whether you're traveling for work or for leisure, frequent jet-flyers know the very specific pain points of worrying about the condition of your apartment while you're away. Your smart apartment can handle all of this for you, rather than having family members or neighbors bother you with keeping plants alive, parcels safe, and turning on lights at night to deter unwanted guests.
Using smart devices to automate services like electricity, heating and air conditioning will allow you to optimize your appliances based on sleep and work schedules. The ability to remotely control energy devices also means you can keep the air or heat off for a few hours while you're away, then turn it back on when you get home using the airEkey app so your apartment is perfect when you arrive temperature.
We all have a friend (or life partner) who is being hit by things like "Did I leave the oven on? Where's the iron? Is the garage door open?" etc. When all your smart devices and power sources can be controlled on one centralized app, you can quickly verify all these vexing puzzles with just a few taps on your mobile device.
Whether it's preventing a potential fire or break-in, a connected apartment can help you and your family avoid "worst-case" hazards. Enhanced security tools like monitoring and smart locks give you instant alerts of suspicious activity for peace of mind throughout the day. This feature is especially useful for elderly people or families with small children.
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A smart apartment usually consists of at least a few technologies. The most common are smart locks, which allow residents to easily get in and out and monitor door activity; smart thermostats, which control the temperature at any given time, no matter how close it is to your home; and smart lights, which allow residents to stay on the couch or bed Enjoy the convenience of controlling all the lights in your home. Often, these devices need to be connected in some way to communicate, so hubs are another core element of most smart apartment installations. Other less common smart technologies include smart TVs, blinds, cameras and kitchen appliances.
The difference between a smart home and a smart apartment, however, is that the technology in a smart apartment is designed to be reprogrammed frequently as a resident's lease begins and ends. Smart apartments can also work with voice controllers that residents bring to their apartments, such as Google Home and Amazon Echo devices. In the end, smart apartment technology needs to be flexible and simple enough for everyone who decides to rent an apartment property.
Residents value the ease and comfort of a smart apartment as well as the feeling of safety and peace. Being able to see who's in and out of their apartment at any time provides a sense of ease, while keyless entry prevents a lot of lockups. With a smart thermostat, residents will see their heating and cooling bills go down, and they enjoy getting back to a comfortable temperature without having to have their heaters or air conditioners on all day. With smart lights, residents can easily move around their homes while turning the lights on and off as they wish. Many people also like to write multiple queues for a single command to do things like open the blinds, turn on the lights, adjust the thermostat, and make a pot of coffee at a time when you wake up in the morning.
Providing smart technology in condo properties can give owners a huge advantage over the competition. Many people rank smart home technology as their preferred facility over swimming pools and gyms. Smart home technology can be installed in new buildings or retrofitted into apartments that are already built and inhabited. Not only will landlords see rental rates go up, but they can also experience lower operating costs and better numbers to reduce risk as well.
What is a smart apartment? It can basically be anything the resident or owner wants. There are tons of smart technologies on the market, and by combining different types of smart technologies, there are hundreds of ways in which the home can be made more efficient and comfortable. Residents can complete their day-to-day tasks more easily than ever, and owners can rest assured that their residents are getting one of the best luxuries on the market.
Contact us to get a quote for your property!
Smart apartments allow you to adjust settings on the go. By using the Resident Mobile App (available for iOS and Android), residents can easily manage all their smart home devices anytime, anywhere.
Smart locks provide the ideal occupant experience, freeing occupants from the inconvenience of physical keys — which are easily lost — and instead using a simple code to gain access to their units.
Who doesn't love the opportunity to save on electricity bills? By using smart thermostats and lighting, you can reduce energy consumption and stay comfortable in your home. According to the EPA, using a smart thermostat can save users up to $180 a year on their electricity bills.
By taking advantage of smart home technology, you can ensure that your lights are turned off and that the air conditioning system (or heater) is not too high when you leave the house. This can make your home the most energy efficient and save a little more money in your pocket.
When choosing a place to live, safety is always a top priority. Residents love adding security features in smart apartment communities to give them peace of mind. Access control solutions ensure that only authorized personnel can enter the property. Entry doors, gates and amenities are protected by access card readers and can only be opened by residents, staff and authorized guests, allowing you to feel completely at home.
Smart apartments also allow for self-monitoring security systems, so you can monitor your home even when you're away. With motion and contact sensors, you'll always know what's going on in and around your home, so you can rest assured that you and your home are always protected.
Granting your guests access has never been easier. You don't have to walk outside or downstairs to let visitors in because automation makes it simple to send visitors an access code. Create temporary one-time access codes for package or food delivery drivers. You can also set up recurring visitor access for recurring visitors such as friends, family, or dog walkers.
Bring your favorite voice assistant to your smart apartment! Easily integrate Amazon Alexa or Google Home with your smart home automation system. Ask Alexa to turn off the lights or tell Google to adjust the temperature for hands-free changes
Your smart apartment should be what you want it to look like. Customize scenes and automations to your exact specifications. Want your lights to turn on when you get home from get off work? Make sure your temperature goes up when you leave? All of these can be configured by setting the scene in the resident mobile app.
Additionally, you can choose to enter a custom access code. If enabled by your organization, custom access codes are easier to remember and put the power in your hands.
When you need us, airEkey is here to help you, day or night. We know how important it is for your smart home technology to work properly. Our support team is dedicated to making sure your device is set up and running the way it should.
We also have troubleshooting support articles to help you manage your home automation software. If you run into any issues, from setting up a scene to troubleshooting your thermostat, there are countless articles to help you.
Residents love smart apartments because they offer more convenience, save time and effort, and create a customized experience. Smart home automation provides an unparalleled living experience. Smart apartments will only become more common as we adapt to technological advancements. It is conceivable how smart apartments will continue to evolve to address the needs of more renters today.
Smart retrofit is defined as the process of implementing smart technology in a retrofit project. For example, a rental housing asset may decide to install smart locks on its old doors to increase convenience and better manage on-site access.
In addition to providing older buildings with modern technology, one of the main purposes of smart retrofits is to reduce the carbon emissions produced by typical rental buildings. This is a key step towards achieving the UK's goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Between today and 2030, global capital expenditures in the energy, transport, food and land-use industries are estimated to reach £50 trillion. The market opportunity in the UK alone is expected to reach a valuation of £1 trillion by 2030, with companies providing the goods and services needed to achieve net zero emissions.
These numbers show that smart retrofitting of rental housing has enormous growth potential and can contribute significantly to net-zero progress in the coming years. In addition, it prepares housing assets for future smart designs that will allow them to prosper in the long term.
It’s now possible to retrofit rental homes with smart home amenities. Smart devices such as electronic locks and leak detection sensors enable management teams to work smarter, not harder, while also providing vital information about energy consumption, community access, and more.
This is critical for housing developments where emissions must be reduced. The intelligence also helps demonstrate ESG compliance – which will define profitable housing investments in the near future.
Residents today also want smarter homes, so operators must retrofit their rental assets to provide a smart living experience.
Smart retrofits may involve simpler or broader timelines. Some products are great for retrofit projects and can provide substantial returns in the long run, but may take longer to implement. These include:
Investing in smart retrofits is a worthwhile endeavor, especially for rental buildings that need to reduce energy consumption.
Millennials tend to have a "pride of ownership" in their rental and like to make it feel like home. In turn, they tend to take care of it even though it's not actually "their".
For homeowners, that means less headaches, less unnecessary repair costs, and less maintenance over time. It also means less turnover and fewer vacant units, as single-family homes also tend to have longer retention rates than multi-family communities. Millennials are also willing to pay higher rents for single-family homes than apartments, which leads to higher rents and higher returns in the long run.
While millennials tend to take ownership, they are also tech firsts. They are willing to pay higher rents for smart homes than previous generations.
According to a recent study of millennials and smart home technology by Wakefield Research, 86% of respondents would be willing to pay more for a home or rental property if they were already equipped with smart home technology. It also noted that they were willing to pay 20% more monthly rent for smart homes than those that didn't.
Some of the devices they expect are electronic access control, keyless locks, connected doorbells, mobile-controlled security systems and voice-activated assistants.
So what does this mean for home builders and owners? They must equip their homes with the right technology to appeal to millennials. However, it's important to understand that just throwing a different device into your home doesn't make it smart right away.
What really makes a smart home smart is the automation between all the devices, and the added convenience they bring when combined. That’s why it’s so important for builders and homeowners to partner with the right suppliers who can strategically use the right technology to provide seamless automation for their homes.
At airEkey, we provide homebuilders and homeowners with smart home solutions that work together to protect assets, increase convenience, and sometimes even generate ancillary income. Our suite of smart home products integrate with each other and can all be managed through one easy-to-use app, avoiding app fatigue for tenants. These are the same devices that millennials are specifically looking for:
Smart Locks: Whether via Bluetooth or via an access code, our smart locks allow residents to never lose their keys again.
Smart devices build smart homes with automation customized for each tenant. For home builders and owners, it also adds a level of safety and protection to all homes, vacant or not. For those units that are not yet home, these devices can be paired with our self-guided tours to expand your reach and increase leads.
Smart home technology is fast becoming a necessity in the real estate industry, and partnering with airEkey can turn your single-family home into the smart home that many are looking for.
With so many options on the market, it's easy to not know where to start. To fix this, it's important to keep your current needs in mind. Start your research by asking yourself what problem you are trying to solve. For example, do you need help with marketing? Self-service travel technology may be the solution. Is your property team struggling with day-to-day efficiency? In this case, a robust platform with an easy-to-use dashboard might help.
Alliance with a partner who also provides solutions to effectively manage and protect your rental and vacant properties. Whether it’s security features, water leak detection or HVAC, solutions that help manage these features can save you thousands of dollars in the long run. For example, water leaks are notoriously expensive and often go undetected. Typically, homeowners have 3 times the cost of insurance claims compared to others. Incorporating a small but powerful leak sensor can prevent these disasters, saving money and headaches in the process.
Research shows that renters are willing to pay higher rents for homes equipped with smart home devices. For example, millennials are currently flooding into the single-family rental market and are interested in homes already equipped with smart devices. They're looking for items that enhance security features, such as security cameras and smart locks—even paying up to 20% off monthly rent. So including these can certainly make your home more marketable and increase your ROI over time.
There is a plethora of smart home technologies out there today, and more are appearing every day. So while the options may seem endless, that doesn't mean you should invest in everything. Instead, look for solutions that integrate with your current technology stack and can easily integrate with other technology stacks. You want to create a seamless experience for your tenants and teams, not fragmented due to a lack of integration.
As with any technology, there is always a learning curve when getting started. Don't be discouraged if some people on your team are having trouble with the software or are taking longer than expected to troubleshoot. Legacy software takes time to get rid of, so be sure to choose a smart home technology partner who can provide a lot of support to guide your team through these growing pains.
Not all tenants are tech-savvy, and not all are even interested in smart home devices in their homes. That's why it's important to make sure all tenants are aware of the upcoming changes and educate them about them as much as possible. Make sure to partner with a solution that trains and supports yours so they can navigate new technologies with ease, ultimately making their lives easier.
As with any technology, always do your research before making any decisions. Find a partner who offers more than one solution that ultimately helps you grow your business in the future, while also providing quality support.
At airEkey, we pride ourselves on being able to do both. Our customers and their feedback are at the heart of our solutions. If this matches what you're looking for, we might be the solution for you. Schedule a quick demo with one of our experts and see how we can help you join the world of smart home technology.
Affordability has become a concern for renters as prices have continued to soar over the past year. The competition right now is unique, as bidding wars ensue, with homes listed for contracts within days of being listed.
While rental prices have followed suit, renting still appears to be the more affordable option in many markets. While many renters think it's just a temporary home, the data shows that residents of single-family homes tend to be renting for longer than expected. This should come as no surprise, as these build-to-rent communities have the same amenities as multifamily homes, but with the comforts of actual homes. Searches for single-family homes for rent tripled in 2021 compared to the previous year.
While building rental communities is an attractive option for renters, they are also an attractive opportunity for investors and builders. Especially when building a brand new community from scratch. Doing so is often cheaper and less hassle than buying an already built home. Beyond that, there are several other key reasons why investors are looking for opportunities:
Also, the risks associated with these types of assets appear to be less. Maintenance costs tend to be cheaper and more predictable than multifamily spaces. Since homes are generally more spacious, they tend to attract more mature residents, especially those with three to four bedrooms. Attracting these residents generally reduces the risk of damage because they typically maintain their homes as they would their own.
Based on current housing market trends, this year is expected to be one of the best years to build-to-rent. Construction of rental homes accounted for 5.4% of the overall housing market in the third quarter of last year, but that number is expected to double by 2024.
While 2021 proved to be a strong year for the market, with 6,740 new rental homes built, 2022 is only expected to surpass that number. Currently, this year's new rental housing supply is expected to see 14,000 new homes planned for occupancy. That's more than double last year's stock!
More money means more supply, and more supply means more opportunity for many Americans who are looking for affordable single-family homes. While demand still outstrips supply, this growth could certainly provide a great option for those looking for a single-family home.
In addition to the shift to single-family homes, renters have higher expectations for rent. They're looking for fully integrated smart homes that basically make their lives easier from the moment they step into a new neighborhood. Built by experienced operators in the industry, airEkey effectively allows owners to build smart ecosystems within their communities - not just homes.
Our premium equipment creates a modern living experience for residents from the moment they arrive. From smart locks that can be opened remotely to smart thermostats and integration with voice assistants - we help build a fully integrated home with modern elements. Residents can even control each of their devices from the palm of their hand using the airEkey App. Here, they can create automations to simplify their daily activities and provide them with a modern living experience. If residents have any questions, they can always contact our 24/7 customer support team for assistance.
It's never too early or too late to develop your smart home strategy. Whether you've just broken ground or have already started renting out your home, we can create the right plan for you.
In the residential industry, access control refers to a method of automating property access so that only authorized residents, visitors, and staff can enter those spaces.
Access control systems come in many different forms, from physical keys and lockboxes to cloud-based systems. Cloud-based platforms, such as airEkey, rely on cloud computing to enable access no matter where the resident or building operator is physically located. This provides convenience and scalability for owners who adopt it.
Typically, automatic access control involves the use of keyboards and codes, which can be distributed or revoked by the operator. However, access control can extend far beyond a single unit. airEkey's smart lock platform includes Bluetooth locks and mobile passes, key fobs and card readers, providing customizable community solutions.
Access control systems provide a more secure way to control who can access personal and shared spaces within a residential or commercial community. Since everyone wants a safe place to live and work, it's easy to see why this service is gaining popularity.
Considering access control to your residential building? This is a good move. Residential access control is growing in popularity as it provides residents with additional security and convenience and provides management teams with a 360-degree view of access activity.
In addition to allowing residents to enter their homes without a physical key, access control brings countless conveniences. If residents expect a package, they can assign a one-time access code to the courier. Residents can provide frequent visits as needed if child care providers visit more frequently.
Finally, residential access control systems can be used for self-guided tours. Because potential tenants can get their own access codes, they are able to tour independently, freeing up labor expenses for owners and accelerating rental goals.
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Considering access control to your residential building? This is a good move. Residential access control is growing in popularity as it provides residents with additional security and convenience and provides management teams with a 360-degree view of access activity.
In addition to allowing residents to enter their homes without a physical key, access control brings countless conveniences. If residents expect a package, they can assign a one-time access code to the courier. Residents can provide frequent visits as needed if child care providers visit more frequently.
Finally, residential access control systems can be used for self-guided tours. Because potential tenants can get their own access codes, they are able to tour independently, freeing up labor expenses for owners and accelerating rental goals. Check out our recent white paper to learn more about the impact of self-guided travel on rental decisions.
Access control systems may be well known in residential settings, but there are countless use cases in commercial buildings too - so many
Commercial access control operates along the same framework as its residential iteration, granting access only to those with the correct credentials. Offering great flexibility, operators can use these platforms to assign or revoke access rights in minutes. Employees can come in and out at different times—a terrific perk given the popularity of flexible scheduling.
Commercial access control also has security advantages. Because managers can easily check who entered their buildings at what time, they are better able to identify security threats. This 24/7 monitoring also helps them avoid late-night security shifts, reducing labor costs.
There are many access control platforms on the market today, but few can compare to airEkey. airEkey's access control systems are designed to increase efficiency, reduce costs and simplify everything related to asset-wide access control.
airEkey also has a plethora of integrations and partnerships that make our access control platform even more attractive. Instead of installing a solution completely independent of your PMS system, airEkey builds on the software you already use to manage your community and adds top-level access controls on top of it.
There are many jobs that will not be replaced by technology, such as rental agents. A rental agent won't be an outdated job, as many potential clients enjoy the experience of talking directly to a person when visiting an apartment or signing a lease. We previously shared that self-guided tours are an enhancement, not a replacement for traditional tours.
This is mainly because self-guided tours allow for multiple tours to take place at the same time and increase showtime even long after the rental group leaves for the day. Many rental agents prefer do-it-yourself tour technology because it optimizes the pool of potential tenants and fills vacant units faster than traditional tours alone.
The rental team even has the ability to follow up with potential clients directly after self-guided tours, hoping to convert the lead into rentals. This is the best of both worlds, the rental agent saves time by not offering tours, potential clients visit on their own time, and the rental agent can follow up to fill vacant units. This process maximizes the chances of signing a lease with less time commitment from the rental agent itself.
Leasing teams are not the only ones benefiting from the impact of smart technology. Property maintenance teams are also increasing their efficiency by using leak sensors that alert them to act quickly at the first sign of a leak. This avoids expensive repairs and headaches from extreme water damage.
Leak sensors cannot replace the human element of repairing leaks, but they can help ensure that leaks are resolved quickly. Therefore, maintenance teams become even more valuable when technology facilitates their ability to solve urgent problems.
While technology can help stem employee turnover, rental turnover remains a major setback for a property manager's job. That's why property teams love that they no longer have to re-enter every door or replace locks. With smart locks, when one resident moves out and another moves in, it's as easy as resetting the door code.
With a simplified access control system, property teams can also grant or revoke access for visitors, deliveries and vendors. As a result, they were able to spend their time on higher-priority tasks instead of letting delivery drivers in.
In the end, employees who have access to resources to increase productivity and give them greater flexibility end up happier and stay with the company longer. As technology continues to evolve, humans' jobs will become easier, but certainly not outdated. There are some things that cannot be automated when it comes to supporting residents.
Remote keyless entry provides automatic access to unit doors so only authorized users can access these spaces. When combined with smart apartment technology, maintenance teams can access areas of the building associated with maintenance work orders.
Remote keyless entry systems can take many forms. Carriers typically use cloud-based wireless keypads to "talk" to the door's smart lock, granting access when a personalized access code is punched into the keypad or entered into a smartphone app connected to the smart lock
There are countless applications for remote keyless entry, but one of the most useful is for maintenance personnel to access private homes. A keyless entry system can simplify maintenance requests for the following reasons:
Maintenance teams must deal with both planned and unplanned issues. Even for planned maintenance, work order management without keyless entry can be cumbersome.
The traditional scenario would involve the property management team alerting maintenance staff to the problem and coordinating when it should be resolved. These team members then coordinate when appropriate keys need to be distributed and collected.
With remote keyless entry, work orders can be managed remotely with just a few taps of a button. Work orders for maintainers are assigned through the admin portal's application. No additional employee processing is required other than notifying residents prior to being admitted into their unit.
For each affected residence, the maintenance team will receive a one-time access code. Once complete, flag the work order accordingly, triggering notifications to building operators and residents.
Once the order is complete, no one needs to meet with the property's maintenance staff to turn keys or locks. There are fewer trips to and from buildings and fewer emissions from vehicles. Maintenance is streamlined, convenient and more environmentally friendly from start to finish
While the home is undergoing maintenance, renters may be curious about how work orders are being fulfilled. They may wonder how long the order will take to complete, or worry about returning home too early, disrupting work order in the process. They may be concerned that service workers will enter their homes at odd times, raising security concerns.
The fear of manual keys is understandable. Keys can be lost or easily copied, and their whereabouts cannot be traced. Today, about 6 percent of burglars use a key to get in. That means a key was used in tens of thousands of thefts in England from 2002 to 2022.
One-time access codes are more secure because they are controlled by the housing operator. Activity logs record who is using the code and when. Keyless access codes can be deleted and reassigned at any time, which helps alleviate residents' concerns.
Additionally, using a remote keyless entry system to easily provide notifications and real-time updates to residents when maintenance work orders are completed can go a long way in giving residents peace of mind and helping them plan their days around regular maintenance.
Remote keyless entry is a great way to manage maintenance teams without being physically present when they fulfill work orders. In addition, the airEkey system provides residents with insight into the process, improving the comfort of their maintenance team working from home.
airEkey provides a keyless entry and work order management platform that is ideal for the needs of maintenance teams. Want to take advantage of these advantages in your assets? Request a demo of airEkey and we'll be happy to discuss the best options for your portfolio.
In a nutshell, NOI is the return or return for investors to take development risk by planning and constructing a development. Essentially, the goal is to increase the value of the asset so that operating income is balanced against operating costs. Fortunately for operators, there are multiple ways to achieve this, one of which is by developing ancillary revenue streams.
Ancillary income is non-rental income, that is, additional income generated from sources other than traditional rental income. These additional income streams will add to the overall value of the asset and annual income through means other than charging monthly rent. It ensures that operators never leave money on the table and take advantage of services that generate revenue and increase resident satisfaction.
To build these streams, build lease operators need to include the right services that they can charge for, and that residents are willing to pay for. These can be extra fees, smart home "tech fees", or other services like bundled cables, community WiFi, pest control, or even something as simple as a vending machine in a community area. The trick here is to understand your resident demographics and find one or more services that will add value to their lives so that they are willing to pay extra for more convenience within the community.
With the right strategy and a little creativity, operators have the opportunity to grow asset revenue in ways that are not traditional.
Before developing a strategy, operators must take a step back and understand their current residential base and demographics. Where is the property located? What is the median household income? Can residents spend any of their disposable income? Have any residents expressed interest? These issues should prompt operators to adopt the right strategy, as no two attributes are 100% alike.
In addition to answering these questions, a good starting point for developing this strategy is technology. For example, millennial residents are very interested in smart home technology. As the tech-first generation, they grew up with technology and appreciate the convenience it can bring to their lives, so they are willing to pay more for a smart home.
Additionally, many tenants are very interested in community-wide WiFi throughout the community. This means the WiFi connection from their home to the gym to the community center has no downtime and a solid connection. This service is a clear technology-based idea to increase ancillary revenue while increasing resident satisfaction.
Finding a strong partner to help you with these services is critical to the success of this program. Ensuring a partner understands your goals, properties, and residents makes a big difference to developing lasting relationships and a robust plan to achieve the income goals you set.
At airEkey, we believe in relationship building to ensure our clients attain success with our solutions. From installation and beyond, our team is always available to help build-to-rent operators and their residents make the most of their new solutions and truly understand the benefits of each. In addition, we offer services and solutions that help build-to-rent operators generate ancillary revenue that can, in turn, grow their NOI.
Aligning with current market trends, our Managed WiFi solution offers build-to-rent operators the ability to leverage community-wide WiFi as a stream of ancillary revenue while appealing to residents. This instant-on, private connection lets residents immediately access WiFi the minute they move in, never experiencing any downtime. Offering a reliable connection throughout the community, our Managed WiFi solution allows operators to generate additional revenue by offering this service to residents at an extra fee.
Next up is Alloy Parking. This solution allows operators to monetize their underutilized parking spaces for those build-to-rent communities with unused parking spaces. The solution lets guests pay for visitor spaces by quickly scanning a QR code from parking signage. Operators can quickly gain revenue through a solution that also grants them complete visibility into their property's parking health.
So, is ancillary income your next big strategy? Let our experts guide you through the process. Set up a personalized demo to get a peek into how a airEkey partnership can grow your ancillary revenue and help build your NOI.
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At airEkey, we believe that everyday life can be simplified through the use of mobile technology. Our airEkey smart locks offer numerous advantages, especially for short-term rentals:
Of course, guest check-in, guest check-out, and key handover aren't the only issues a host has to deal with during a guest's stay. To facilitate the day-to-day work of short-term tenants, integrate airEkey into their software solutions.
With my.airEkey.com integration, Holiday Inn managers can provide 24/7 check-in and check-out services, giving their guests complete flexibility when they arrive and leave. This flagship solution fully automates guest access by programming a separate access code for each booking of a smart lock with a keypad. This allows guests to conveniently and securely check in 24/7 — no app required, and no host to do anything.
With smart thermostats, Operto ensures that every guest finds an apartment with a pleasant temperature, while reducing monthly energy costs.
The privacy of objects and guests is always protected thanks to a combination of noise monitoring, energy conditioning and access solutions.
Probably the most important thing a landlord can do to stand out from the crowd. With personalization techniques such as displays with customized welcome messages, guests will enjoy an unforgettable stay while feeling at home.
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Why Smart Home? A smart home is supposed to make your daily life easier and free you from processes. For example, you can automatically raise the blinds, turn on the lights and activate the sockets at a certain time in the morning. The use of technology does not make life more complicated, but more enjoyable.
Before you start choosing your smart home gadgets at will, you should take a step back and integrate your smart home upgrades into your overall renovation plan.
You can finally get started and get inspired by the possibilities a smart home offers you. If you're still not sure which smart home devices are right for your needs (e.g. Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, etc.), our blog and a short Google search will help you. Early in the planning phase, you've thought about which elements of your smart home to start with. This makes selection easier and helps you focus on the essentials when faced with numerous options. You're just getting started, and after your first experience, you can always expand your smart home.
If you decide to use a smart home device that you can't install yourself, schedule an appointment with an expert or ask around in your circle of acquaintances. If you're doing a full renovation of your home, it's also possible that the specialists you need, such as an electrician, are already on site and available to support your project.
However, many smart home devices can be set up without much technical knowledge. For example, our airEkey smart locks can be installed in just three minutes - without outside help and without any drilling or screws.
With the airEkey smart lock, you can turn your smartphone into a key, open the door automatically (using automatic unlock) and control access remotely using a Wifi box (airEkey box). Electronic door locks also allow you to grant others digital access. You can send these "digital keys" via the airEkey app, set a time limit and delete them again at any time - all without making any structural changes to the existing door.
But if you're still installing a new front door, check out our smart doors.
We now have more than 700 airEkey partners, mostly in Europe. To give you an idea of what's behind the Partner Program, we're going to tell you about some of our sales partners in more detail.
Our locksmiths are a business that has been around since 1993. As a specialist company providing personalised and affordable security solutions to corporate and private clients, we rely on innovation and further development - because security is a matter of trust.
Our main business includes mechanical and electronic locking systems. In addition to safes and alarm systems, unlocking services complete our range of services. For electrical installations such as alarm systems or walkie-talkies, we rely on years of cooperation with electricians.
security is trust
Problem The delivery and installation of locks, locking systems, alarm systems and safes is a matter of trust and of course requires a lot of experience.
Our customer base is diverse, including small and medium-sized companies as well as many private clients - mainly in the district of Weiz in Styria. Among our customers are also some large companies, which can therefore benefit from Weitz as an industrial city. We also serve several surrounding communities and work closely with property management companies on the installation and maintenance of large locking systems.
Many end customers, especially single people, trust us: seniors especially need help installing door locks or quick assistance in the event of a malfunctioning door handle. Recently, sales of airEeky products have risen sharply - not only in the private sector but also in apartments, for example.
We rely on high-quality, high-quality products, which is why airEkey fits perfectly into our range. Especially in the private sector, it is important to make the product easy to use and install for our customers - airEkey fulfills these requirements very well.
In the beginning, when we added the airEkey to the range, we drove to the customer ourselves and assembled it. However, the simple installation convinced us immediately. We now simply explain to customers how smart locks are installed, and now 95% of customers install it themselves.
Today, technological advancements are not only important to companies, but are also steadily increasing in the private sector. In our case, the client proactively asked if the house or apartment could be locked and unlocked without a key. We always check in advance whether the airEkey is suitable for the lock - making the customer truly satisfied. So far, we have received very good feedback from our customers, especially the airEkey keyboard has been very popular.
The biggest advantage is that it can be easily retrofitted. The nature of the door remains the same, if you have a lock cylinder that can be locked on both sides (emergency and danger functions), you don't need to buy a new lock cylinder. Furthermore, airEkey offers a clear added value when it comes to producing replacement keys. If you lose your mechanical key, everything must be replaced. With Smart Lock, access authorization can be simply revoked.
Easy to retrofit
In our experience, customers often exclude products from the decision-making process when they need to retrofit or buy a new cylinder. The advantage of the airEkey is that you can keep the cylinder as long as it can be locked on both sides.
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Why Smart Home? A smart home is supposed to make your daily life easier and free you from processes. For example, you can automatically raise the blinds, turn on the lights and activate the sockets at a certain time in the morning. The use of technology does not make life more complicated, but more enjoyable.
Before you start choosing your smart home gadgets at will, you should take a step back and integrate your smart home upgrades into your overall renovation plan.
You can finally get started and get inspired by the possibilities a smart home offers you. If you're still not sure which smart home devices are right for your needs (e.g. Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, etc.), our blog and a short Google search will help you. Early in the planning phase, you've thought about which elements of your smart home to start with. This makes selection easier and helps you focus on the essentials when faced with numerous options. You're just getting started, and after your first experience, you can always expand your smart home.
If you decide to use a smart home device that you can't install yourself, schedule an appointment with an expert or ask around in your circle of acquaintances. If you're doing a full renovation of your home, it's also possible that the specialists you need, such as an electrician, are already on site and available to support your project.
However, many smart home devices can be set up without much technical knowledge. For example, our airEkey smart locks can be installed in just three minutes - without outside help and without any drilling or screws.
With the airEkey smart lock, you can turn your smartphone into a key, open the door automatically (using automatic unlock) and control access remotely using the Wifi wifi gateway (airEkey WIFI BOX). Electronic door locks also allow you to grant others digital access. You can send these "digital keys" via the airEkey app, set a time limit and delete them again at any time - all without making any structural changes to the existing door.
However, if you're installing a new front door, check out our smart doors.
While it often gets little attention, lighting plays an important role in quality of life. For many, life without light is almost unimaginable. Even in your own four walls, the right lighting ambience can ensure greater comfort and improved performance. Depending on the color and brightness of the light, you can create a very special atmosphere, from a romantic candle flicker to a bright reading light that allows you to focus on your work.
All those who use light switches mainly for switching and dimming may be wondering how it works: with smart lights, it's very easy and intuitive as they can be easily switched to different settings and scenes via the app, voice or smart Light switch transfer. Networked lights with warm, soft beams in the living room ensure the right ambience for candlelit dinners, while in the kitchen they help ensure the best possible view when cooking, as well as when doing computer work in the office.
Smart lights are especially beneficial if you have to get up at night, as they can be easily configured to only come on very dimly at night. This way, you can avoid the "hello-wake effect" when you turn on the bathroom lights at night.
Although you have smart lighting in your home, if you don't want to be without the usual light switches, you can make them smart too. Different lighting moods can be easily set at the touch of a button – a welcome and familiar alternative to modern solutions controlled via apps and voice.
Motion detectors are especially useful in hallways, stairwells and other passages. They have also been around for a long time, but are usually only used in conjunction with a single lamp. As a smart variant, they can control an entire room or floor, ensuring you're never groping in the dark.
Smart lighting can also be combined with other smart home products to demonstrate its benefits. For example, if your airEkey smart lock reports a resident's absence when locking your smart home, it can automatically turn off all lights in the house and activate an alarm system when needed. As soon as your airEkey electronic door lock is unlocked again, your home will welcome you with individually adjustable comfort lighting.
In addition to increasing comfort, lighting also plays a central role in safety in and around your own four walls. The more strongly an object is illuminated, the less interested thieves are generally. Smart lights can act as a deterrent in a number of ways:
On the one hand, outdoor lighting in smart homes can be automatically controlled. That means your home will never go out when dusk or when it's already dark outside. Smart lights in your living room, on the other hand, can simulate your presence by turning lights on and off (ideally randomly) in different rooms, even when you're not home. This provides an additional deterrent as burglars often choose buildings where it is clear that no one is home.
Before your guests start their journey, a lot of communication-related exchanges take place. Because in addition to the countless tasks to be organized and prepared in advance, the communication with the guests is a decisive part of the "pre-work". Therefore, you should always be accessible to your guests and answer their questions promptly (ideally within a day). Because if you don't respond to customer inquiries at all or only late, it can be difficult for your guests to build trust in you. This affects not only your reviews, but the booking itself. So, make sure you have reliable and positive communication with your guests at all times.
No one wants to research the most important information on their own. So put yourself in the guest's shoes and consider what information they need before they arrive. Ideally, this information should be displayed on your website or the corresponding booking platform. If not, make sure your website is updated regularly. Before booking, your guests should know how to get to your property, whether parking facilities are available or how best to use public transportation.
Accordingly, holidaymakers should be informed in advance how to enter the holiday apartment. Do you hand over the keys yourself, someone else does it for you, or is there an option for self check-in? Depending on the method you choose, make sure your guests have easy and convenient access to the property. Waiting times, such as in front of the front door, can negatively impact your ratings.
Good preparation sounds obvious, but it cannot be overemphasized. Of course, you have to make sure you have everything ready in your stay. Your guests expect a sparkling clean apartment. Therefore, if you hire a cleaning service provider, you will still need to regularly check the accommodation yourself.
Another thing you should be prepared for is "paperwork": unless bills will be delivered in person, be sure to print out all legally required forms and have them ready for your guests.
Hot Tips: You can fill out many of the form fields yourself by receiving the necessary information in your booking. Your guests will appreciate your efforts and be glad they spent less time filling out forms than they thought.
Even if you value personal contact with your guests, it's not always possible to hand over the keys there. Automated self check-in combined with electronic door locks gives you more flexibility, especially if you rent multiple apartments. You can handle multiple check-ins at the same time if you are no longer physically present each time you arrive. This saves time, money and effort. Imagine your guests are late when you are bedridden or unable to attend due to childcare? With a digital door lock, such as the Nuki smart lock, you can send guests access authorization in advance so they can check in on their own at any time. There is still time for a personal greeting the next day.
Focus on the needs of your guests and find out if they are traveling for business or spending a vacation at your property. Find out in advance how many people are arriving and whether they are interested in visiting attractions or want to experience action-packed activities. important:
Offer advice and insider information (such as about restaurants, events, or special venues), but make sure not to give the impression that you want to sell something.
Provide your guests with modern, well-appointed accommodation where new technologies can be discovered - for example, when a door is unlocked with a smart lock and the lights come on automatically.
Proactively meet the needs of guests. Are you renting accommodation in an area with a high probability of rain? Make sure you always have enough umbrellas, raincoats and rubber boots of different sizes available.
Do you know the owner of the best breakfast place in town? Then negotiate with him - maybe a discount coupon will be offered for your guests.
Think about the little things in life: Surprise your guests with local delicacies or fresh grass flowers on the table.
Of course, meeting guest expectations is a challenge, but a comfortable stay is a great start to a great stay and the foundation of long-term and successful customer loyalty.
]]>How good is an online order - have you been trying to make delicious Asian food for your grandparents or parents for a while? Well now is a good time to order their offal, fried rice and sushi. If you can't keep them happy, luckily there are countless other options.
Now is the time to think about the little things in life to surprise and delight each other. Do you order groceries online for older family members? Then immediately add fresh tulips to the list - they'll be happy, even if of course "not necessary".
Admittedly, in the current situation, the receipt is not without problems. Even if you pay instantly online, so you don't need to touch cash, the door still has to be open. With a digital door lock, this risk is eliminated because your loved one can unlock and lock the door from the couch. It also makes the supplier more secure, which is why this add-on is often mentioned as a comment on the order.
Even if your parents or other older family members are generally skeptical of "tech", now is a great time to add a digital door lock to your loved one's apartment or house. Why? Because smart locks can help your parents get along better at home later, when they might not be doing well.
Home care after surgery, care with and without care levels, home care for (first-onset) dementia - there are many reasons and many different situations that require outside help. Most of the time, the process is fluid, so the people involved don't always agree on what actions must be taken when. However, no matter how much help is needed, one factor remains the same: the parent or grandparent's apartment or house must be readily accessible.
For example, airEkey's Smart Lock can be easily installed on almost any lock cylinder (on the inside of the door) and set up in minutes using the free app. From now on, the gate can be locked via a smartphone, but the key will still work. Your parents won't notice any changes at all. However, in an emergency, you can open the door remotely at any time - after all, it must be one of the scariest thoughts ever to have your parents fall and emergency services stand in front of a locked door. airEkey smart locks at the door give you the opportunity to take action when you need it most.
In the field of mobile care, digital door locks have long been used, where key management quickly reaches its limits. If the airEkey smart lock is installed, it is sufficient to send a digital access authorization so that authorized caregivers can easily enter the apartment via their smartphone. In the event of an illness or a spontaneous change of duty personnel, a one-time access authorization can be assigned to another person within seconds. Therefore, your loved ones are always in the best possible care.
Many older adults worry at an early age about what will happen if they need help one day. At some point, however, many people get to the point where others have to think about them -- keyword: dementia. If you forget to water the flowers, it will actually only be harmful to the flowers. But forgetting to lock the front door at night can be dangerous. So, with a smart lock, the status of the door can be checked in the app at any time. If the door is not locked, you can do it remotely. Time control is also possible, where the door automatically locks at a certain time.
Digital door locks can help older family members stay on their four walls longer. One of our long-time airEkey users has also considered aging and technology, and shares his thoughts with us in this article.
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Various software solutions that support hosts in coordinating various booking platforms can make the management of vacation properties easier. This booking software facilitates successful channel management. Well-known vacation rental software providers such as Smoobu, Guesty or BookingSync provide landlords and property managers with a variety of tools to make vacation rentals more profitable and efficient. In addition to reservations and reservation systems, they also offer the possibility to create a website, handle guest communications through the system, etc.
The cooperation with airEkey brings great added value to our users. Automatically adding access codes to communications with guests saves time by fully automating them.
The new integration is available to all airEkey users. Simply log in with your existing airEkey Web access data at https://my.airEkey .com/ use all features:
To be able to use the integration, you need an airEkey Smart Lock and an airEkey Web account.
The partnership enables all management software users to take advantage of various channel management benefits. Thanks to aieEkey integration, the registration process can also be optimized and automated. This saves valuable time and money.
]]>airEkey Smart Lock makes your door lock smart. However, it would be ideal if they were all connected. You can then automatically turn off the lights, turn off the heat and lock the front door when you leave the house in the morning.
There are many options for linking different devices and manufacturers. Voice assistants Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are examples here. However, in the end, your options are very limited, especially when it comes to complex processes. And due to the lack of Apple devices, not everyone uses HomeKit.
This is where homey comes in. At first glance, the humble little ball is a true multifunctional smart home hub. We introduced them to you in a test some time ago. In this blog post, I want to take a deeper look at this issue and describe my impressions and experiences after a good year.
I've been using homey in my smart home for about a year. So far I can only have good things to say about the gateway. I primarily use this device to integrate non-HomeKit-enabled devices into Apple's smart home systems. Because this is also possible.
But homey has also proven itself to me of various automatic jobs or processes that can be invoked via voice control. I especially like the large selection of compatible brands and devices. Thanks to this, products from different manufacturers can be networked that would never have come together without the home.
In addition to that, I created an automation system for my small living room home theater that combines screen and shutter controls from Somfy Tahoma, a universal remote for controlling devices like projectors, Logitech Harmony, and lighting from Philips Hue. So I can darken the room and start the home theater with one command (via voice or an app, for example).So I can darken the room and start the home theater with one command (via voice or an app, for example).
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