Owning a vacation rental can be a lucrative way to enjoy a home away from home without breaking the bank. You can visit your beautiful seaside
home in Turkey, France, or Spain any time you like while renters help pay your mortgage the rest of the year. Where most vacations fail is in preventable and costly disasters, like tenant damage, fire or water damage, and burglary.
Luckily, the advent of these 6 “Smart Home” technologies has made it easier than ever to eliminate these common vacation rental fails.
Keyless Entry
Your renter is ready to check in, but you’re hundreds of miles away. This logistics problem often necessitates hiring a local management company to release the key or—worse yet—pulling the risky ‘hide the key under
the door mat’ trick. Solve this problem with a keyless entry lock.
With keyless entry, you can provide a unique multi-digit code to your renter that allows instant access. You can change the codes at any time through a smartphone app or web browser, making it unique for each renter. You can also set one-time codes for repairmen.
Remote Thermostat
With a remote thermostat, you can set a range of temperatures for your renters, not allowing them to waste energy unnecessarily. You can also change the temperature as needed when nobody is present in the home to avoid freezing pipes or wasteful A/C usage.
Smart Security Cameras
Security cameras are all but guaranteed to pay off within a few years of installation. There are just so many issues you can capture on film that will prevent financial losses.
For example, let’s say you agreed to rent out your vacation home to a young couple. You remotely check your security cameras and see they are throwing large parties with additional guests staying over. This is a liability for you if one of the guests is injured. With your evidence on camera, you can contact the renter to discuss the violation of your rental agreement and possibly recoup fees for the additional guests.
Of course, security cameras can also help in cases of breaking and entering, which is common in homes cased and pegged as frequently unoccupied vacation rentals. We recommend keeping at least one camera inside the home, where it cannot be tampered, and having it pointed through a front window. Many smart security cameras have motion sensor alerts that will immediately notify you of unexpected movement that can allow you to call the police in time to catch the perpetrators.
Smart Smoke Alarm
A smart smoke alarm can have two useful functions for vacation rentals. One is to immediately notify you (and, in some cases, the local fire department) of potential fires. The other is to hold renters accountable for non-smoking policies. Very sensitive smart smoke detectors can distinguish between dangerous house fires and pesky cigarette smoke, allowing you to remind and possibly fine renters who fail to abide by your non-smoking agreement.
Water Sensor
Aside from devastating fire and smoke damage, one of the worst catastrophes threatening your vacation home is water damage. Whether its bursting frozen pipes or infringing environmental flooding, water can destroy your property and cost thousands of dollars to restore. A simple smart water sensor can detect unusual levels of moisture and alert you through an app or email. We recommend installing sensors in basements, under sinks, behind toilets, and around appliances.
Smart Lighting & Outlets
Remember earlier we discussed how would-be burglars case homes that are not always occupied? One way they determine if anyone is home is by the use of lights, televisions, and other “signs of life.” With smart lighting, you can control lamps and other light fixtures from anywhere in the world using a simple smartphone app. Turning lights on randomly and at night makes the home appear occupied. Similarly, you can plug your TV or a radio into a smart outlet plug that gives you control over randomizing noise in the home.
