Smart technology is no longer a luxury—it’s becoming a standard for vacation rentals. From saving energy to improving guest comfort, smart devices offer hosts a powerful way to run their properties more efficiently and professionally.
But for many property owners, one big question remains: how do you actually automate smart devices for vacation rentals?
At Rental Home Automator, we specialize in connecting your smart home devices to your booking calendar—allowing everything from locks to lighting to operate automatically based on guest check-in and check-out. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do it and what makes our approach different.
Why Automate Smart Devices in Your Vacation Rental?
Automating smart devices in your rental property offers three major benefits:
✅ 1. Save Time and Labor
No more manually adjusting thermostats or unlocking doors. Your rental runs on autopilot.
✅ 2. Protect Your Property
Automated water shutoff, security monitoring, and occupancy-aware lighting help prevent damage and security risks.
✅ 3. Improve Guest Experience
Guests enjoy seamless check-ins, climate-controlled comfort, and a tech-savvy stay that earns 5-star reviews.
What Devices Can You Automate?
Most platforms only support a few smart devices—but at Rental Home Automator, we help vacation rental owners automate all types of smart devices, including:
- Smart locks (generate and revoke guest codes automatically)
- Thermostats (adjust based on occupancy and season)
- Lights (turn on at sunset or when guests arrive)
- Water shutoff valves (turn off water between stays to prevent leaks)
- Smart plugs & switches (control appliances, heated floors, A/C units)
- Irrigation systems (adjust watering based on occupancy)
Our automation system works with Z-Wave, Zigbee, Matter, and Wi-Fi devices. We currently integrate with the SmartThings platform, with others like Hubitat and Google Home coming soon.
What Makes Rental Home Automator Different?
Unlike other platforms, we connect your booking calendar directly to your smart home devices. That means:
- No guesswork when devices are supposed to be triggered
- No risk of shutting off systems during a stay
- No need for daily manual schedules
When a reservation starts, we turn devices on. When it ends, we shut them down. It’s vacation rental automation that just works.
How to Get Started with Smart Device Automation
We offer product recommendations and detailed guides to help you automate smart devices for your vacation rental. Here’s what to expect:
- Choose your automation platform – We recommend SmartThings for their flexibility and integrations.
- Select compatible devices – See our recommended smart devices that integrate smoothly with our system.
- Set up automations – Follow our tutorials to link your calendar to devices and conditions.
Real-World Automations You Can Implement Today
- Program unique door codes up to 7 days ahead of time
- Adjust the temperature to be ready for guest arrival
- Automatically shut off water 2 hours after checkout
- Pre-heat heated floors before guest arrival
- Turn on exterior lighting only when the home is booked and it’s after dark
These are the kinds of automation that turn a basic smart home into a smart rental that takes care of itself.
If you’re ready to automate smart devices for vacation rentals, don’t settle for piecemeal tools or DIY headaches. Rental Home Automator helps you build a smart rental that works around your guests—so you don’t have to.
Our platform supports every major device type and makes automations truly hands-off by syncing directly with your booking calendar. Plus, we provide trusted advice and guides to help you implement the right setup for your home.
Rental Home Automator is the only solution which can automatically control all of these devices (and more) based on your rental calendar.
