Best Smart Locks for Airbnb

Smart locks aren't just useful for homeowners. They're also a valuable resource for Airbnb hosts to upgrade and streamline guest check-in. We think the Yale Assure Lock SL and its native Airbnb support provide the tools to make your life as a host or Superhost more manageable by automatically scheduling access codes and giving you easy access to your rental when needed.

Check out our full lineup of the best smart locks for Airbnb to see how Yale compares to other top contenders.

This version of the Assure Lock SL includes the Connected by August module and an August Connect Wi-Fi bridge. These unlock remote access so you can control the lock from anywhere using the August Home or Yale Access app (Yale and August are part of the same company, and both apps work with either brand). Best of all, you don't need to visit your rental to add new Airbnb guest access.

We think the August Home app brings an even bigger advantage: native Airbnb integration. Linking your August and Airbnb accounts means the lock automatically generates a unique access code when a guest books your rental—and optional August app access if you prefer.

Guest codes work only during the scheduled stay, so you don't need to worry about unauthorized access. ​​You can create permanent or recurring key codes for you and anyone who helps you clean and maintain your rental.

Under normal circumstances, we'd recommend the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock instantly. Although August is our current pick for the best overall smart lock, it doesn't have a built-in keypad—you must buy an accessory. As much as we like the August Smart Keypad, it's a bit plasticky and introduces another set of batteries to maintain.

Yale Assure Lock SL bests August by offering a built-in keypad and an elegant glass touchscreen. Plus, its single set of batteries lasts up to 12 months, double that of the August Wi-Fi. And since they both use the same app, Yale makes more sense for Airbnb rentals because it's easier to maintain.

We love the clean look of the Yale Assure Lock SL because it doesn't have a keyhole. It looks futuristic and is immune to lockpicking, but no keyhole means you can't bypass the lock with a physical key if the batteries die. Fortunately, the bottom of the keypad features a backup power port you activate using a 9V battery—keeping a spare for your guests is a good idea.

The Yale Lock Assure SL costs around $190, making it one of the more expensive Airbnb lock on our list. It's well worth the price as an investment in your rental. The modern, key-free touchscreen delivers a strong first impression, especially if you want to provide a five-star Airbnb experience for your guests.

Learn more in our Yale smart lock review.

A few good things about the RemoteLock OpenEdge 550L's hardware make it worth considering for your vacation rental. We like the lever handle for doors without a deadbolt—though you can buy a deadbolt version too.

It also has a massive 3,500 code capacity, so you can assign unique codes to everyone—though we're not sure why you'd need that many for an Airbnb. Still, the OpenEdge 550L's simple design is a bit bland compared to the flashy touchscreens on Yale and Igloohome.

This Wi-Fi lock is also a little hard to use with a smartphone app since it doesn't maintain a constant connection to save on battery. Instead, RemoteLock uses a "heartbeat" to connect the lock to Wi-Fi at a set interval. While the default one-hour heartbeat helps the batteries last up to 12 months, there's no remote access between heartbeats.

RemoteLock differs from most other smart lock companies because it focuses more on hospitality and access control than on homeowners. This makes RemoteLock's Airbnb integration easy to use and fully automatic.

We love that RemoteLock works with so many PMS platforms like Hostaway, Smoobu, Guesty, and iGMS, so you can fit it into a larger strategy for your rental property. It's also compatible with third-party smart locks—including most on this list—like August, Yale, Schlage, and Igloohome. We generally recommend using a third-party lock if you use RemoteLock's software.

As you might expect from a company that caters to businesses, this software requires a subscription. Depending on the features you want, you'll need either the Premium ($6 per lock per month) or Business plan ($9 per lock per month) to use RemoteLock with Airbnb.

While this is an extra expense, it's a drop in the bucket if you book out your rental for most of the month. It's totally understandable if you don't want another item on your list of expenses. August and Igloohome's PMS integrations aren't as versatile as RemoteLock, but at least they're free.

The RemoteLock OpenEdge 550L costs around $279, which is average for a Wi-Fi smart lock, but the added subscription fee means it's not a one-and-done purchase. Still, we think the software integrations are great for leveling up on your way to an Airbnb empire.

Unsurprisingly, August offers the same excellent app and Airbnb account integration as Yale, but for around $100 less. Still, you'll need the August Smart Keypad, sold separately for about $57, to use this lock with Airbnb. (Despite the list prices, the lock, Wi-Fi bridge, and keypad currently total around $210 on Amazon—we're not sure why August doesn't bundle them all together.)

Thanks to the Airbnb integration, you'll unlock automated booking tools for granting guest access to your rental. It's a huge timesaver and reduces the stress of managing an Airbnb on your own.

August is the only retrofit smart lock on our list, which means it attaches to your current deadbolt so you can keep your keys. This is particularly helpful for converting an existing property into an Airbnb without buying all-new deadbolts.

The August Smart Lock's batteries last up to six months, shorter than other locks on our lineup. Thankfully the app notifies you when to replace the batteries, so it's easy to keep up the lock ready for your guests. If the batteries fail unexpectedly, you can provide a physical key to bypass the lock—preferably in a coded lock box outside your Airbnb rental.

Battery life on the keypad is even shorter, topping out at three months in Power Saving Mode. In cold weather, the keypad's batteries will drain even faster—Yet another reason to go with Yale, which keeps its batteries cozy inside your rental.

The August Smart Lock + Connect isn't perfect, but it's the most affordable solution with native Airbnb integration and automatic booking tools. Just make sure you keep plenty of spare batteries on hand.

Learn more in our August smart lock review.

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At $69.99, the Wyze Lock Bolt is currently the most affordable smart lock available, and somehow it offers a classy key-free design and a fingerprint sensor that unlocks effortlessly. Skipping Wi-Fi in favor of Bluetooth delivers a battery life of up to 12 months and still offers mobile app controls for adding new guest codes.

So why are these a good fit for Wyze Lock Bolt? Let's dig into it.

For cabins, there's a good chance there's no Wi-Fi, let alone electricity or running water, so anything using Wi-Fi is unnecessary. But you'll still need to visit between bookings to clean—especially if you're aiming to be an Airbnb Superhost—giving you a chance to add new codes to your lock.

You can manually share these codes with your guests before check-in and schedule them to expire after the stay. It's the same principle for renting out spare bedrooms in your home, except that you're close enough that you don't need Wi-Fi to change codes.

You're on the hook to manually update everything without remote access and third-party integrations. Using a lock like this for your Airbnb will get tedious if you have a new guest every night—it holds only 20 codes, so you'd need to update it and send guest codes at least every couple of weeks. Alternatively, ( implement a minimum stay duration to save your sanity.

Although keyless entry makes the lock more secure, it's also a liability if the batteries die. Wyze has cleverly decided to use a USB-C port on the bottom for emergency power, but it might be asking too much for guests to find a cable and a battery pack.

Regardless of the drawbacks, the Wyze Lock Bolt is a solid tool for the hands-on Airbnb host on a budget. Wyze is a bit more work than locks with automated booking tools like Yale and August, but it has a certain charm that makes it enjoyable to use.

Watch our full Wyze Lock Bolt review on YouTube to learn more.

On the surface, Igloohome shares some features with the Yale Assure Lock SL: a shiny touchscreen keypad, 12-month battery life, and native Airbnb support. But Igloohome's Airbnb support doesn't feel as complete.

The lock automatically creates codes for guests and delivers them just before check-in. Excellent. But we have a minor nitpick; you must manually create a second code if visitors want to extend their stay after checking in. It's a bit inconvenient when automation isn't entirely hands-off.

You wouldn't know it from looking at the Igloohome website, but this brand has an impressive number of PMS integrations. During our research, it popped up on Chekin, Operto, Lynx, and RemoteLock. This means Igloohome has the potential to be a big player in the Airbnb world, even if its current products don't feel 100% there yet.

Based on customer reviews, this smart door lock is difficult to install, and Igloohome doesn't appear to offer many installation instructions. We also found multiple reviews saying things break too easily, from the backup keys to the lock motor and even the Airbnb integration.

While we see so much potential in the Igloohome Deadbolt 2S as an affordable Airbnb smart lock for around $100, the execution isn't good enough if you want more automation for your rental. Still, it's good enough to use for an Airbnb side gig like a basement rental in an owner-occupied home.

The Schlage Encode is one of our all-time favorite smart locks because it offers robust security and customization you can find only with a seasoned door lock company. Unfortunately, this smart Wi-Fi lock links to Airbnb via RemoteLock, so you'll have to pay a subscription fee. It's a solid alternative to the RemoteLock OpenEdge 550L, but supply-chain issues are severely affecting availability and pricing as of this writing.

The Alfred DB2 is among the sleekest touchscreen smart locks available, but it requires a lot of work to integrate into an Airbnb. To use it with Airbnb, you'll need the Z-Wave module add-on and a smart home hub that works with RemoteLock. (It's harder than it looks.) On top of that, you'll need a RemoteLock subscription. It's a great lock but might be too complex for beginners.

The Kwikset Halo is an impressive Wi-Fi smart lock, but it's not a great option for short-term rentals. (At least if you want to automate the process.) August and Yale offer a more streamlined approach due to their direct integration with Airbnb. We're hoping Kwikset gains this feature in the future. For now, we suggest skipping Kwikset Halo for your vacation rental.

Learn more in our Kwikset smart locks review.

The Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro Z-Wave takes everything we love about the Wyze Lock Bolt—fingerprint sensor, keypad, and simple setup—and adds remote access over Z-Wave. But as much as we love Ultraloq smart locks, they're not a great fit for Airbnb. You can still use it, manually creating a code for every booking. We think the Wyze Lock Bolt fills this niche better and for less money.

Without question, the Yale Assure Lock SL is our choice for the best smart lock for Airbnb. It looks fantastic, and we think your guests will approve of how easily they can check into their rental. You'll love the long battery life and automatic guest code creation as a host. It's a pricey investment but brings a healthy return through the added value and convenience of your Airbnb listing.

If you're interested in a smart lock for your residence, we recommend looking at our full lineup of the best smart locks.

We have years of experience testing and reviewing smart locks for homes—including most locks on this list—so we wanted to see if they can handle the world of Airbnb rentals. Although we don't personally host short-term rentals, we found tons of Airbnb-centric tools to help you manage yours.

As we researched smart locks for this review, we prioritized products with the following:

• Keypads
• Mobile apps
• Native Airbnb integration

A keypad is a must because Airbnb's Off-Platform Policy prohibits "requiring guests to use other websites or apps to physically access their listing." Since you're using a smart lock to skip giving a physical key out, this makes a keypad the best way to grant access to guests.

Our top picks use mobile apps to streamline code creation (manually programming a keypad without an app is a pain, trust us). Apps also enable quick access for you, your cleaners, and other contractors (if applicable). Fortunately, Airbnb allows third-party apps for guests as long as they're optional, so you can also provide a mobile key for guests to enter their rental.

Native Airbnb integration means you can create and sync codes easily without copying and pasting between apps. We also explore how the locks fit into Airbnb PMS services like Guesty and Hostfully. Some of our picks don't integrate with Airbnb directly, like Wyze Lock Bolt, but they offer low prices and unique features to make up for it.

We don't consider price as much as with regular smart locks because they add value and convenience to your Airbnb listing. Look at it this way: a modest $5 increase in your nightly rate can provide a return on your $300 smart lock investment after 60 days. Just keep in mind that you may need a higher rate if you start using a paid subscription to manage your lock, such as RemoteLock.

Check out our full methodology to learn more about how we research, test, and review products.

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