Must-Have Smart Devices for Your Short-Term Rental in 2025

Owners and hosts frequently ask us about which smart devices are ideal for short-term rentals and what constitutes the essential setup to get started. With a plethora of gadgets available, it may be overwhelming to try and figure out where to begin. While smart locks have become a go-to for many property owners, we think there are devices that significantly enhance the management and care of your short-term rental or Airbnb from a distance.

There are numerous ways to integrate smart devices into your vacation rental. We’ve narrowed it down to the essentials that promise the best return on investment for any host. Start with these four devices:

1. Door Lock(s)
2. Water Valve
3. Thermostat
4. Smart Hub

Installing a smart door lock at your property allows guests to have easy and secure access. You can connect a smart lock to an automated system like Rental Home Automator, which enables you to automatically generate unique entry codes for each guest. It also eliminates the issues of misplaced keys or unauthorized entry, offering you convenience and peace of mind.

For this, we recommend the Yale 2 Assure Lock. Read more details in our review.

To safeguard your property from potential water damage caused by a leak or a broken pipe, a smart water valve is crucial. It enables you to turn the water supply on for guests, cleaning, and maintenance, and ensures it’s off when the property is vacant.

Our recommendation is the Zooz Titan Water Valve, and you can read about why managing water is important at your short-term rental.

A smart thermostat enables you to effectively manage the temperature settings at your property. You can set temperature limits, monitor the indoor temperature remotely (particularly crucial in colder areas), and ensure the property is comfortable for guests when they arrive. Additionally, you can automatically adjust back to energy-saving settings after your guests depart.

We highly recommend the ecobee 3 lite smart thermostat because after testing multiple thermostats we think it’s the best smart thermostat for STR’s.

While optional, we highly recommend using a smart hub. It centralizes control of your devices, reduces reliance on Wi-Fi, and allows for future expansion of your smart device network. A smart hub will enhance the overall flexibility and efficiency of your setup.

The best hub right now is the Aeotec Smart Home Hub Gen 3. It is designed for SmartThings, a great platform for managing your smart devices. This will future-proof your smart home setup as smart home protocols continue to evolve.

These are your four must-have smart devices for a short-term rental or Airbnb. You can always continue to add and expand the smart devices you have as you see fit. Start with these devices, and then consider adding more devices. We have plenty of ideas and suggestions, and can always help you come up with a solution if you’re trying to do something unique.