Short-term rental utilities can be very high, especially in more extreme climates. One of the major cons of Airbnb hosting is how unpredictable your utility bills can be. Making money on Airbnb involves keeping revenue high and expenses like utility bills low.
Guests will often take really long showers, leave all the lights on, or forget to turn the thermostat down before leaving the property. Despite your well-put-together welcome binder, many guests will disregard reading the property rules. They’ll ignore your tips to keep the costs down in your Airbnb. Luckily, in our digital age, you have the option to use a smart thermostat to monitor and control your Airbnb temperature remotely.
Ease of use is key when installing and using a new device. Thankfully, many smart thermostats are user-friendly, and many guests may even have the same or similar device in their own homes. Today, old thermostats with multiple switches are the more difficult of the two to operate.
Smart thermostats are relatively inexpensive compared to the energy savings they provide. And your utility provider may even offer a rebate for replacing your old thermostat with a new one, which can make the upgrade inexpensive or free!
Smart thermostats are easy for most people to install. The instructions are easy to follow, with most devices offering how-to videos if you get stuck on a step.
Before you purchase a smart thermostat, it may be wise to check the brand website to make sure your smart thermostat of choice is compatible with your current heating and cooling system.
When you invest in a smart thermostat, you can set up automation with your other smart home devices such as Amazon Alexa, smart locks, or even a smart TV. Thank goodness for technology, am I right?
You can set your smart thermostat to activate when your guest unlocks your front door smart lock or integrate your thermostat with vacation rental management software to know when guests are checking in and adjust its temperature accordingly. Integration with your management software may be vital if your property is located in the desert in the middle of summer; I’m looking at you, Arizona. Guests will welcome the cool air when they step in the door.
Here are our two picks for the best smart thermostat for your Airbnb property. While two smart thermostats may seem like a slim list, we promise these are the best options when upgrading your property. These two smart thermostats also have some of the longest histories as smart thermostats making their technology reliable and cost-effective.
The ecobee has a unique feature that makes it stand out from other smart thermostats: it allows you to place external sensors around your Airbnb. The ecobee sensors can detect whether or not a room is occupied and tell the ecobee thermostat that it needs to adjust the temperature to make the room more comfortable for the occupant, and vice versa if a person leaves a room.
While this might sound complicated, it is a really easy setup with a fantastic user interface. ecobee offers Amazon Alexa as a built-in feature, but it is compatible with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, Samsung SmartThings, Wink, and IFTTT, so there is no need to change your other smart devices to work with your ecobee.
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The ecobee is intuitive for guests, especially with its built-in Alexa microphone and speaker. Guests will be impressed by the futuristic feel of the ecobee, and how simple its touchscreen feature is to use
With the ecobee sensors, the ecobee will adjust the temperature based on what rooms your guests are in, so you won’t need to worry about a guest complaining that the bedroom is drafty while the living room is too hot. This feature will also be helpful when the guests are out, or the house is vacant; the ecobee will automatically detect their absence and adjust to its preset holding temperature. Think of how much money you can save on electricity with this feature!
Hands down, the ecobee is our choice of the best Airbnb smart thermostat!
Another very popular option is the Google Nest Learning Thermostat. While the Nest has Alexa compatibility, it does not have an Alexa microphone built-in, but it does have Hey, Google built-in capabilities.
The Google Nest has the sleekest design of current smart thermostats so not to interfere with your Airbnb décor. The Google Nest also allows you, the owner, to lock the device. You can set a limit on the highest and lowest temperature your unit is allowed to operate. This feature is handy for your Airbnb as you can prevent your guest from turning the air conditioning or heat to a ridiculous temperature and then walking away.
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The Google Nest has many similar features to the ecobee. It also has an even simpler user interface guests will have no problem figuring out. To change the temperature, the guest will turn the dial on the outside rim of the Google Nest face. Google does offer temperature sensors similar to the ecobee, but they do not detect the presence of people.
Users of Google Nest enjoy the Google Home app, which allows all connected smart devices to work together. While you may not wish to give this feature to your guests, you can keep an eye on your Airbnb property when they are away or when it is empty.
Choosing to update your Airbnb to include smart devices such as a smart thermostat is a smart move. You can save money and have more control over your property while also remaining modern and “cool” to guests.
By adding more smart devices to your property, you can work to increase your Airbnb reviews and value ratings to increase your bookings and repeat guests. What other smart home devices have you included at your Airbnb property to improve your reviews and ratings?
Originally from Connecticut, Kevin moved to Los Angeles in 2013 and worked his way up to becoming an editor on award-winning reality TV shows. Kevin owns 4 short term rentals in Southern California and founded AirHost Academy to help other hosts improve their business.
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