Top 12 FAQs: RemoteLock for Vacation Rentals
Managing a vacation rental comes with its own set of challenges, from securing your property to ensuring a seamless guest experience. To help, we’ve compiled answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about RemoteLock specific to vacation rentals, focusing on key issues like access control, guest safety, and property maintenance.
1. Who is RemoteLock?
RemoteLock is a founder-led organization based in Denver, Colorado, that has been a leader in the access control space since its founding in 2011. The company’s software platform manages over 100 million locks for 40 million users in 75 countries all over the world.
The company provides cloud-based, access control software that empowers owners and property managers in vacation rental and related industries to remotely manage and control access to any space from anywhere in the world.
2. What is Access Control?
Access control refers to the ability to manage and control entry to properties. Typically, these properties are equipped with either wired doors connected to a control panel, smart locks, or a combination of the two.
3. How is the RemoteLock software used?
RemoteLock’s access control software unifies the control of these locks in one intuitive dashboard. From their phone or laptop, property owners and managers can:
- Add and remove locks from different manufacturers and at different locations
- Grant and revoke access to guests, housekeepers, maintenance, and staff
- Set up access schedules that dictate who has access to which doors and when
- Create door groups to manage different access privileges
- Track entry logs, monitoring who’s using which doors and how often
- Increase security and efficiency
In addition, RemoteLock’s software is completely cloud-based. Managers and users can log in, make changes, and monitor the status of their RemoteLock account from any internet-connected device.
4. Which Smart Lock Is Best for My Vacation Rental?
There are several factors to consider when choosing a smart lock for a vacation rental property. First, consider ease of use for your guests — a lock with a PIN code is easier for guests to use without having to pick up a key or fob from a manager before checking in. You’ll want a durable lock for added security and a longer lifespan. If your property is in a location you don’t often visit, battery life might also be a priority. Consider the climate, too — some locks are specially designed to withstand ocean spray, high humidity, or extreme cold. RemoteLock is compatible with the leading smart lock brands, so you can choose the hardware that suits your property.
5. How Many Locks Can I Manage With RemoteLock?
As many as you want. Whether you’re managing a single vacation rental property or dozens of properties all over the world, you can unify access control to all of them within RemoteLock’s dashboard.
The best part is that you only pay for what you use. If you’re managing a small property with fewer than 10 locks, you can set them up yourself. If you’re managing a larger property, RemoteLock’s sales team will walk you through the installation and setup process. If you’re managing a significant number of locks across multiple properties and locations, RemoteLock offers enterprise plans that can be customized and scaled to your exact requirements.
6. Can I Manage Multiple Lock Brands with RemoteLock?
Absolutely. One of the most useful features of RemoteLock is the ability to unify access control across multiple hardware options, at any number of doors, locations, and properties. You can mix and match any number of compatible locks from well-known manufacturers — Yale, August, Kwikset, Schlage, and more — and still create unified access rules, user settings, and schedules at all of your vacation rental properties.
7. Can Multiple People Manage My RemoteLock Account?
Of course! With our enterprise plan, you can assign privileges on your RemoteLock account in any way you need. With multiple levels of control, you can grant specific access control options to any number of managers, staff, and users.
If you want your property manager to be able to add and remove users, but not locks, you can easily configure that setting. You can configure your account so that front desk staff can grant temporary codes to delivery workers and contractors, but not change residents’ access settings. You can even ensure that staff at one property can’t change settings at another property. Whatever system works best for your properties, RemoteLock can support it.
8. What Does RemoteLock Monitor?
If it has to do with access control, RemoteLock monitors it. That includes behind-the scenes events like:
- Adding, removing, and configuring locks
- Adding and removing users
- Changing schedules
- Changing privileges
- Adding and changing door settings
- Battery and wireless status updates
In addition to the access management you might want to monitor, RemoteLock can also tell you:
- When each lock is opened and closed
- Whose credentials were used
- If an incorrect code was used to attempt access
- Which locks are used the most often and at what time of day
- What form of credentials were used
For even more detailed control, you can generate reports on exactly how your staff and guests are using their access codes and use that information to inform business decisions.
9. Does RemoteLock Monitor Other Devices?
In addition to traditional front door locks, RemoteLock can be configured to manage more unorthodox points of entry like elevators, parking garages, magnetic locks, and glass doors.
RemoteLock plans to add the ability to remotely manage and control thermostats. Coming soon, property owners and managers can ensure that they’re not wasting heat or cooling on an empty unit, keep the temperature above freezing to prevent property damage, or even adjust the temperature a few hours before guests arrive so that they’re walking into a comfortable room.
10. How Does an Access Control System Improve Security?
Traditional physical keys can be easily copied, passed on to others, or lost, adding hassle and cost to your property management. They also afford owners zero visibility — there’s no way to see who used a key or when.
Smart locks paired with access control software don’t rely on physical keys. With RemoteLock, you see who has entered your property and when. You can also set up alerts for failed access attempts. Best of all, you can easily revoke access in just a few clicks from your dashboard or set up codes to expire automatically as soon as your guests’ stay ends.
11. Can RemoteLock Reduce the Need for On-Site Staff?
Yes, RemoteLock helps reduce the need for on-site staff. The most obvious advantage of remote access control is that there’s no longer any need to meet with your guests in person to give them a key to the property, but the benefits go much further.
Property managers can grant or revoke access, monitor entry activity, and address lockouts without being physically present. This not only improves operational efficiency but also reduces labor costs by allowing staff to focus on other tasks rather than managing keys or responding to access issues.
12. Does RemoteLock Integrate With Booking and Guest Experience Software?
YES! RemoteLock can be integrated with dozens of vacation rental management, payment, and booking software partners. By connecting RemoteLock to software partners like Airbnb, OwnerRez, or ChargeAutomation, you can control every aspect of your vacation rental property from within one dashboard. That includes:
- Booking and scheduling guests
- Collecting deposits and processing payments
- Automatically generating and sending access codes
- Creating and offering upsells
- Creating digital guidebooks to enhance the guest experience
- And more…
RemoteLock offers powerful and flexible solutions for vacation rental managers looking to simplify access control and enhance guest experiences. With its cloud-based platform, seamless integration with various smart locks and property management software, and real-time access management, RemoteLock provides the tools you need to keep your property secure and running efficiently. Whether you’re managing a single rental or multiple properties, RemoteLock helps you stay in control from anywhere in the world.
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RemoteLock
Universal Access Control
We provide cloud-based, access control software that empowers those in the multifamily, vacation rental, commercial and related industries to remotely manage and control access to any space from anywhere in the world.
