Airbnb Automation Recipes (Pre‑Built): Calendar‑Based Setups You Can Turn On in Minutes

If you can paste a calendar URL and flip a few switches, you can automate your rental. This guide walks through the pre‑built automation recipes in Rental Home Automator (RHA) and shows exactly how to configure them in minutes—no custom logic required. Each recipe is booking‑aware (follows your calendar), guest‑proof, and designed around the real‑world moments that drive reviews, costs, and peace of mind.

The automations we’ll cover:

1. Check-in & Check-out Logic
2. Program Door Codes
3. Turn Water On/Off
4. Thermostat Control
5. Change Location Mode
6. Turn On/Off Devices

1) Calendar Settings (the brain of every recipe)

Where: Location → Calendars → Add New Calendar

How it works

• Paste your iCal/ICS URL (Airbnb, Vrbo, or PMS).
• Choose your standard check‑in and check‑out times.
• Optionally toggle “Use event start/end times instead of default check‑in & check‑out times” if you want your automations to honor each reservation’s actual times (great for early check‑in/late check‑out or cleaning calendars).

Calendar validation
When you save, RHA scans the calendar and confirms:

• Time zone is present and consistent.
• Overnight / multi‑day stays normalize to your time window.
• Back‑to‑back turnovers are supported (e.g., 10 a.m. out / 4 p.m. in).
• Event naming looks like a reservation (and not a personal appointment).
  If something can’t be automated (e.g., missing times), we flag it with a human‑readable note and keep the rest of the logic running.

Best‑practice defaults

• Check‑in: 4:00 p.m.
• Check‑out: 11:00 a.m.
• Keep the event start/end toggle off unless you routinely allow custom times.

Related deep‑dives:

2) Program Door Codes — Check‑in Automation

What it does
Creates date‑bound keypad codes that automatically activate at check‑in and remove at check‑out. You can also keep cleaner and maintenance codes active on a schedule.

Recommended settings

• Program temporary (automatic) codes: Based on Reservation info (e.g., last‑4 of phone or check-in & check-out dates)
• Create lock codes: 1 day before check-in
• Delete lock codes: 4 hours after check‑out (give yourself a buffer)
• Select the lock(s) to program.

Pro tips

• Add master codes so your team always has access.
• For multi‑entrance homes, mirror codes to all exterior locks.
• Use keypad‑first locks for the most guest‑proof experience.

Safety

Codes are scoped to the reservation window; RHA automatically rotates and cleans up expired codes.

Related articles:

3) Turn Water On/Off — Water Shutoff Automation

What it does
Controls a motorized main water valve so water is ON during a stay and OFF after checkout. It will automatically leave water OFF between stays for the best protection against water damage in your home.

Recommended settings

• Turn water on: 2 hours before check‑in
• Turn water off: 2 hours after check‑out
  
• Select the Water Valve device – we also allow impersonating valves if your water is controlled by a switch

Pro tips

• Place a laminated instruction card near the valve for cleaners/techs.
  
• Add leak sensors for alerts (we don’t want to auto‑close from sensors in STRs; you can still close manually with one tap in RHA).

Safety

As a failsafe: if the valve doesn’t confirm closed, RHA will retry and notify you.

Related articles:

4) Thermostat Control — Smart Thermostat Automation

What it does
Sets temps at check‑in/check‑out for maximum cost savings. As a bonus you can program your thermostat to enforces min/max bounds during the stay.

Recommended settings

• Adjust temperature for check‑in: Comfort (e.g., Heat 70°F / Cool 72°F)
  
• Adjust temperature for check‑out: Eco (e.g., Heat 55–60°F / Cool 78–80°F)
  
• Enter Heat/Cool temps for both events.
  
• Select the thermostat(s) to control.

Pro tips

• Prepare the home temperature: 2–4 hours before arrival
  
• Switch for vacancy: at check-out time
• Use room sensors for large homes; enforce reasonable bounds so guests can’t abuse the system.

Safety

• If the thermostat is offline or unresponsive, RHA automatically retries and flags the event for review so you’re never guessing.

Related articles:

5) Change Location Mode — House Mode Automation

What it does
Sets a Location Mode at check‑in and check‑out (e.g., Guest Mode → Vacant). Location Mode acts like a master scene: other automations and rules can watch for mode changes and react.

Recommended settings

• Change mode at check‑in: Guest Mode
• Change mode at check‑out: Vacant or Away
• Adjust mode timing: At check‑in / At check‑out (or add small buffers if you’d like).

What can watch modes

• Lighting scenes (porch/paths on at dusk in Guest Mode).
  
• HVAC eco rules (tighten limits in Vacant).
  

Related articles:

6) Turn On/Off Devices — Smart Plug & Switch Automations

What it does
Turns any supported switch, plug, or outlet ON at check‑in and OFF after check‑out. Perfect for lamps, towel warmers, coffee bars, dehumidifiers, EV outlet access, etc.

Recommended settings

• Turn devices on: At check‑in 
  
• Turn devices off: After check‑out
• Select one or more devices (e.g., Heated Floor Power, Beverage Fridge).

Pro tips

• Name devices by room + purpose (e.g., Living Lamp Left) for fast setup.
  
• For lights, consider combining with Location Mode so dusk/dawn rules only run in Guest Mode.

Related articles:

Troubleshooting & Failsafes

• Device offline when a recipe fires? We verify the devices respond to the commands and if they don’t, we automatically retry. If it doesn’t respond in a reasonable time, we’ll alert you so you can check and see what’s going on.
  
• Overlapping reservations? We validate the scheduled commands and respect the latest check‑out. If you want to make sure your water doesn’t turn off with back-to-back rentals, set the check-out task to execute after the check-in task is scheduled to execute and the check-out task will be ignored.
• Custom times per booking? Use the event start/end toggle in Calendar Settings. This is perfect for cleaning & maintenance calendars so you can set up custom schedules

FAQs