Operto logo, white
Book a demo

6 Best Short Term Rental Smart Locks for 2025

Smart locks are just that: smart, and they’re the future of hosting.

6 best Airbnb Smart Locks

Picking up and handing over the keys to your guests, for instance using lockboxes, can be an operational nightmare.

When it comes to key handover, you have two options: either pay someone to be physically present for a time-consuming and costly process that is prone to complications or resort to insecure methods like rickety lockboxes or equally risky hiding spots (such as a flower pot). Unfortunately, none of these approaches offer reliable long-term solutions that guarantee peace of mind.

And even if the guests manage to get the keys, none of these are good long-term solutions.

Lockboxes don’t change access codes with each new guest or user (presenting a security risk) and physical keys can be easily lost, copied, stolen, or locked inside the space. Exhausting, right?

 

That’s where smart locks come in, solving all of these problems in one move. Offering digital keyless entry for rental properties, the best smart locks for rental property use keycodes, without relying on smartphones. 

 

They enable check-in and check-out at any time of the day or night (so there’s no problem if your guest is delayed or wants to leave early) and can be remotely changed so that only people with the most up-to-date keycode can gain access.

 

Smart locks offer connectivity to other elements of your guest’s stay, such as the heat or lighting in their room; the automated emails you might send about check-in, check-out, digital guidebooks, or customer service; and they connect to your existing PMS so you, the host, can manage your entire short-term property portfolio at a glance.

 

And in our post-pandemic world, as the hospitality industry starts to reopen, guests are also looking to pay more for Covid-safe solutions, and smart locks enable contactless check-in with no needless in-person interactions.

Smart locks are just that: smart, and they’re the future of hosting.

Why Should You Consider Upgrading to Smart Locks?

In the latest article from Scale, Italy has just made waves in the vacation rental industry by banning key lock boxes. This has caused problems for thousands of short-term rental operators in Italy. This bold decision is a wake-up call for operators around the globe to find alternative solutions and adapt to new policies addressing community concerns.

What does Italy’s ban on rental key boxes mean for short term rentals?

The impact of this ban may extend globally, as governments elsewhere may adopt similar regulations to address safety concerns in vacation rentals. Operators are encouraged to invest in secure, keyless entry systems to future-proof their properties. Moreover, the growing emphasis on guest experience means travelers increasingly expect seamless check-in processes, which digital solutions like smart locks can provide.

 

Smart locks streamline operations and integrate with property management systems. By pioneering these regulatory changes, Italy sets a standard for modernization in the short-term rental sector, urging operators worldwide to adapt and enhance their access technologies to remain competitive and compliant.

Keep your current guests safe and previous guests from breaking in.

Let’s talk about how to upgrade your short term rental guest access.

What to look for in a smart lock for your vacation rental.

Mobile keys vs key cards vs keypads

Before you decide what kind of key your hotel’s new doors will have, it’s important to set goals and understand expectations. What are you hoping to achieve? If you’re looking to stay ‘business as usual’, you might be looking into hotel electronic door lock systems that use key cards. While plastic magstripe keycards might be the cheapest form of room access, it doesn’t provide added value or ROI to hotels. It means you’ll need staff on-site, so operating expenses stay high.

 

Mobile keys might be a popular form of keyless entry and hotel automation, but they’re often not an adequate alternative, especially if your goal is to reduce operating expenses. For one, phone batteries can die. Second, older generations are still not comfortable depending on their phones for entering their rooms. Both options mean you’ll still need staff at the front desk “just in case”.

 

Finally, smart locks with keypads provide a keyless experience that can work without a phone or a key. It provides the most secure form of access for hotels while allowing them to start their digital transformation into a modern-day form of operations.

 

 

The reason we advocate for keypad locks is that they are the only form of guest entry that is foolproof, thus not requiring any fallback check-in option. When using a keycard or a mobile key solution, you rely on an app. Unfortunately, most guests don’t want to use an app, whether due to lack of smartphone literacy, app fatigue, unintuitive user experience, their batteries dies or they run out of data. Most of the time, 85% of people will steer clear of any app download. 

 

Typical fallback options we hear about before switching to Operto include:

 

  • 24/7 front desk (which really only viable in large properties)
  • Lockboxes for every single room containing a keycard. Guests call you to request the lockbox code when they arrive.
  • On-call staff that lives nearby and are available to drive out and meet clients 24/7 (not a great guest or staff experience)
With a standard key card or mobile key experience—a fully automated property is simply not possible. That’s why we recommend keypad locks.
 

What to look for in a smart lock for your short term rental.

While there is a huge range of smart locks on the market right now, these are our top choices for the best smart locks for rental property that work especially well for short term rental hosts, and which are robust enough to scale with your business as it grows.

Yale Assure Lock Series 

Yale Assure lock keypad

Features

From one of the world’s most trusted and recognizable lock brands comes the Yale Assure Series, offering a wide range of designs and styles of smart locks with keypads, including door levers, different colors, and sizes. Many connect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and have backup options such as physical keys, or 9V battery power sources. Integrates with Operto. Creates unique entry codes and enables permanent, scheduled, or temporary access remotely. Simple and sleek, and easy to install on existing doors with a normal screwdriver (options for North American deadbolt and lever locks). Good for smaller “smart home” spaces.

Yale nexTouch Series

The nexTouch Sectional Mortise Keypad Lock, part of the Yale nexTouch Series (Image: Yalecommercial.com) The nexTouch Sectional Mortise Keypad Lock, part of the Yale nexTouch Series (Image: Yalecommercial.com)

Features

The Yale nexTouch Series is specially designed to match both the security demands of high-traffic commercial properties; and the tactile, easy-to-use, stylish designs required for smaller hospitality spaces too. It is also weatherproof for outdoor use, which is a must if your rental door leads to the outside. Integrates with Operto. Offers 500 unique keycodes. Connects to Wi-Fi. Installs on existing doors. Can be installed with an extra deadbolt lock for even more security. Range of designs. Follows North American lock standards.

Yale Linus® Smart Lock

The Yale Linus® Smart LockThe Yale Linus® Smart Lock

Features

Also from Yale, the Linus Smart Door Lock is a sleek, modern lock that is fully remote-controlled. Not only that, but its DoorSense™ technology lets you know when your door is closed or left ajar, for added security. Smartphone app or keypad access. Specifically built to retrofit the wide variety of lock types available across Europe. Integrates with Operto. Connects to Wi-Fi. Award-winning design (Red Dot 2020 Winner at the Product Design Awards in the Security System and Smart Products categories). Installs discreetly on existing doors, with no smart features visible from the outside, except an optional, inconspicuous wireless keypad.

Yale Keyless Connected

Yale Keyless keypad

Features

Yet another great option from Yale, the Keyless Connected series is a solid, modern smart lock available in four distinct colors (polished brass, satin nickel, chrome, and black), which is perfect if design and style are important for your short term rental. Beyond looks, the Keyless Connected smart lock allows remote access and has a touchscreen keypad. You can set up access via a range of options, including a PIN code. Users can be added or removed easily. Integrates with Operto. A range of access options. Built-in tamper alarm. Suitable for wooden doors with night latches, primarily found in the United Kingdom.

August lock Airbnb integration

August Lock

Features

One of the most well-known players in the market, the August Smart Lock (and its big sister, the August Smart Lock Pro) offers secure, keyless entry for small and growing businesses alike. Compact enough to look at ease into a domestic-style setting, but robust enough to manage high-traffic rental use, the lock offers full Wi-Fi connection and remote access, smart home integrations, and can also be paired with a keypad. Hosts can use Operto to integrate the August lock with Airbnb and their property management software, which also automatically generates new codes for you between each stay.

Want to see how you can connect Yale locks to your PMS through Operto? Click here to get a demo.

Learn more about Operto Connect.

Nuki Smart Lock

Nuki Lock

Features

Another well-designed, discreet smart lock that retrofits onto existing doors in Europe and provides a serious level of security, using encryption technology seen in online banking, and which is verified by independent institutes such as AV-TEST. It enables access permissions to be managed remotely with ease and can offer continuous monitoring, so you know who is going in and out when necessary. Integrates with Operto. Remote access. Connects to Wi-Fi. Can be fitted with a keypad that requires a secure, 6-digit user code.

Igloohome Smart Locks

Igloohome locks

Features

Igloohome provides a suite of high-end smart locks that combine the security of existing deadbolts with the ease of use of keypads—but the real magic lock feature of Igloohome is that its locks work without Wi-Fi – perfect if your vacation rental is off-grid or remote. Igloohome’s algoPIN™ technology enables you to quickly generate access passcodes on the go that are usable even offline and can be active permanently or for only a set amount of time. Integrates with Operto. Remote access. Syncs with Bluetooth. Comes in multiple versions, including padlocks and lockboxes.

Operto Connect

The key to connecting your short term rental smart locks.

Operto Dashboard, hotel lock, and Operto digital key in a cluster

Features

Benefits

Operto works with you as a partner and offers a wide range of integrations because we know that going smart is the key to unlocking (puns intended!) these must-have benefits for your business.

We can get you set up with all of the locks below at 0% financing, along with all of the powerful software needed to fully automate your vacation rental space or short-term rental.

 

The Operto Connect platform integrates with your PMS, online listing sites, and smart devices—including the locks below, plus thermostats, and AC—and enables you (or your managers) to monitor access, maintenance, and activity of your spaces remotely.

Guests can use the in-browser portal (no need to download an app) to unlock their door, or simply key in a four-digital code on a keypad; and use the same page to control energy use, heat, or AC.

 

Operto integrates with all of the locks on this list, enabling you to do far more than just open and close doors, and instead ensure a super-connected, contactless, and seamless operation.

 

We’re confident that any one of the following locks, when connected with Operto, will be a great choice for you and your business.

Connect your smart lock to the rest of your operation.

Learn more about Operto’s integration with leading PMS platforms.

What to look for in a smart lock for your short term rental.

Looking for a smart lock designed for hosts sounds simple, but a quick search will reveal an overwhelming number of smart locks out there, not all of which are ideal for short-term rental hosts. Many are designed either for casual, domestic use or, conversely, for massive, repeated commercial use, and there are a huge array of different designs and features. If you haven’t used a smart lock system before, it can be confusing and daunting to know what each option does, and which will be best for your business and guests.


That’s why we recommend focusing mainly on the following criteria when choosing a digital lock.

Lock security

Consider whether the lock enables you to have different codes for different people, and change said codes remotely. Giving different people different codes means you always know who has been in and out—your guests, versus housekeeping staff, for example—and being able to change codes remotely means you can grant or revoke access depending on stays, and rental and home security needs. Some locks even allow you to time different codes, so you can automatically enable housekeeping or maintenance staff to enter only at set times, or when guests have definitely left. Being able to change codes remotely offers real peace of mind, not only to guests but also to you as a host.

Ease of use

Consider how the smart lock is used, and what will suit the majority of your guests. Many locks boast that they can be used only with a smartphone, but consider if this will work for your business. Some guests may be traveling from abroad and won’t be able to get a phone signal when they arrive; others might struggle to connect to the internet, or your location may be very remote and not have a signal at all. Smartphone entry also relies on the guest having a smartphone, and that phone having enough battery to be used at all times. Digital door locks that rely on phones may also require your guests to download a separate Android or iOS smartphone app before use, adding an extra barrier to entry, more hassle, more data needed, and another mobile app on your guests’ probably-already-full phone. To avoid these problems, we recommend smart locks that use keycodes as a good option. This means that you can send your guests a 4-digit code in advance before they check in, so they can get in even if their phone is dead on arrival, or the app hasn’t been downloaded.

Remote access

You might also consider whether you can control the smart lock access without being on the premises in person. As well as the security issues we already covered above, this feature means there’s no need to pay someone (or waste time yourself) to hang around waiting for guests. You can also offer guests peace of mind, as the lock can be activated even if they arrive unexpectedly early, or get delayed while traveling. As Shane Fuhrman, from Operto partner hotel The Wyman in Colorado, says: “Keys are antiquated. They create unnecessary friction. “I don’t want to stress a guest out and say that if you arrive after 10 pm, you’re going to have a less good experience than our guests that arrive earlier, or not even get to your room at all.”

Integration with your property management system

If you’re a renter with big ambitions, and you want your short-term rental property business to grow, it’s good to consider if your smart lock of choice will integrate with your property management system (PMS). As you manage more guests and properties, you may choose to use a PMS to coordinate your calendar, guest communication, maintenance/housekeeping, and distributing your listings across multiple OTAs. There are now many PMS platforms that are designed for smaller, more agile businesses. Gone are the days when using a PMS was only for giant chains. Simple but powerful PMS platforms that can be used with your existing smart home devices are enabling hosts of smaller businesses to play big. Connecting your PMS to your smart lock means you can automate the entire process, and see what’s happening with your property with ease, via a single platform. Smart locks are central to connecting your entire PMS and allow you to upgrade your business from casual to competitive while keeping track of who’s going in and out, where, and when.

So which smart lock is right for you?

It depends on you and your business, but while the Yale Assure Series offers a simple, classic option for North America; Yale Linus offers award-winning design, tailored to Europe and Igloohome offers unmatched security even without Wi-Fi.

It depends on you and your business, but while the Yale Assure Series offers a simple, classic option for North America; Yale Linus offers award-winning design, tailored to Europe and Igloohome offers unmatched security even without Wi-Fi. And Operto integrates with every single one. We work with our clients as partners, helping you each step of the way to switch to rental or home automation, make the switch to smart systems as painless as possible, and maximize your locks’ power, no matter which you pick. We know that finding a trustworthy, secure, and easy-to-use smart lock that works for you and your guests can be daunting, especially if you haven’t used a smart lock platform before. But if you’re looking to modernize your systems, make managing your business digitally a breeze, and satisfy your guests with a seamless, secure, and easy experience from check-in to check-out, you can’t go wrong with one of these great options.

Not sure which lock is right for your vacation rental property?

Tell us more about your business so we can see whether Operto would be a good fit.