When you list your property on Airbnb, one step is essential and important: key management. It’s indeed crucial to allow the tenant to access the accommodation. And this can be problematic if you’re traveling or at work. The simplest solution is obviously to hand over the keys yourself, but this isn’t always feasible. Several solutions are then possible to hand over your keys to your guest. We’ll tell you all about it.
Asking for Help
First of all, if you need to hand over keys, the simplest solution is to do it yourself. But if that’s not possible, you can ask for help from your relatives or neighbors. Your relatives are trusted people and if they’re available, they can do you this favor if you’re not on site. If you don’t have any relatives living near your accommodation, asking a neighbor can also be a good idea.
Ask them if they don’t mind and entrust them with your keys. They will take care of providing them to the tenant.
If these two options are not possible, you can also entrust the keys to a shopkeeper near the accommodation. They have long opening hours and can thus easily provide the keys to your guest. Moreover, the chosen shopkeeper will be available even if the tenant is late compared to the set time.
Another person you can ask for help, in case your accommodation is in a building: the concierge. The presence of this professional is an undeniable advantage if you use Airbnb to rent out your accommodation. They can give the keys to your tenant without difficulty and you won’t have to worry about your keys.
You can also entrust your keys to the cleaning staff who takes care of the accommodation. They know the property perfectly and can even give a tour. However, this staff may not be available and won’t be able to hand over the keys at any time.
Using a Greeter can also be a good idea. These people are widely used by property management companies that manage high-end apartments. However, the Greeter is a solution that can be expensive. And if you’re not renting out a high-end property, it will be very costly.
Using Specific Services
When you don’t have the possibility to entrust your keys to a third party, other solutions can be proposed. This is the case with a lockbox. This secure key safe with a single-use code can be installed indoors or outdoors. The lockbox is a padlock-shaped box. It can therefore be attached outdoors, without risk of theft, or fixed to the wall. However, it will be essential to regularly change the code used. This solution is not ideal if the accommodation is located in a building with a digicode.
The smartlock is another solution, more interesting. It indeed offers the possibility to monitor the status of your keys and generates a new code after each use. Most smartlocks send you notifications. You will thus be able to control access to your accommodation. However, this solution is expensive and also not suitable for accommodations located in a building with a digicode.
You can also use an electronic locker. This is a huge safe with many integrated lockers that open with a code. Several companies offer this service (such as Keycafé, Monky Locky, Keynest or Stasher). These safes are located at shopkeepers and are easily accessible, provided, however, that you are located in a town that has one of these solutions.
Another solution is the connected lock. This can be unlocked remotely via different means: electronic card, security code, smartphone, electronic bracelet or even voice assistant (like Google or Alexa). However, these locks have a high cost.
A key handover service can also prove to be a very good idea. Using a concierge service to hand over your keys. If your accommodation is located on the French Riviera (Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cannes), you can entrust your keys to the concierge service of Bnb Groom Services. It’s also a good solution to save time when you rent out the property. You can thus have perfect trust. Your keys will be safe.
Bad Ideas
A technique that is too often considered is to leave the keys under the doormat or in a flowerpot. However, this can be very risky. Someone could indeed easily find the keys and use them to “visit” the accommodation. It should be noted that this solution is only possible in less touristy areas and remote locations.
