If you’re managing a short-term rental and looking to automate your property, one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is choosing the right smart home platform. While Google, Apple, and Amazon offer some great options, SmartThings stands out as the best platform for Airbnb and vacation rental hosts in 2025.
Here’s why.
If you aren’t already automating things at your short term rental or Airbnb, you should start looking into it right away. The technology is available to automate a lot of the safety and security – as well as comfort settings – of your property so guests can enjoy your property and give you fantastic reviews.
Importantly, you can use SmartThings for their connectivity, automations & integrations without buying any specific hardware to get started. Getting started is easy, and we outline the steps in this article: Using SmartThings to automate your short-term rental property.
Here are the top reasons why SmartThings should be your choice for a home automation platform:
1. SmartThings Keeps Guest and Host Accounts Separate
Most smart home platforms are designed for personal use. That means connecting everything—devices, subscriptions, even payment methods—to your personal account. For Airbnb hosts, this creates serious security risks.
SmartThings solves this.
You can create a dedicated SmartThings network in your property where all of your smart devices reside. This network works behind the scenes controlling and monitoring your smart devices without giving guests access to any personal data. This level of isolation & compartmentalization is critical in a short-term rental environment.
💡 Tip: Set up one SmartThings location per property to keep access and devices organized.
2. Unmatched Device Compatibility
SmartThings supports an enormous range of devices from various brands—especially when paired with a Z-Wave/Zigbee-compatible hub like the Aeotec Smart Home Hub Gen 3. While Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and Amazon Alexa also support a range of devices, SmartThings leads in terms of the sheer number and variety of compatible products.
This lets you integrate smart locks, thermostats, water valves, leak sensors, lights, and more—regardless of brand. Compared to ecosystems like Google or Apple, which tend to favor their own devices, SmartThings offers greater flexibility for mixing and matching the best gear for your rental.
💡 Tip: Check out our recommended devices as well as our device reviews to learn about the best devices to use at your short-term rental.
3. Supports a True Smart Hub with Z-Wave, Zigbee & Matter
The Aeotec Smart Hub adds even more power to your system. It supports:
- Z-Wave
- Zigbee
- Matter
- Wi-Fi
- Thread
That means you can use nearly any smart device on the market, instead of just being limited to Wi-Fi or Matter devices. The SmartThings hub has distinct advantages over other ecosystems which also utilize hubs, like the Aqara ecosystem. Although Aqara has some amazing devices, it limits you to only the devices in their ecosystem
This hub-based model gives you future-proofing as new standards roll out, and you’re not locked into one product line or ecosystem.
4. Rental Home Automator Integration
SmartThings integrates seamlessly with Rental Home Automator, which connects your smart devices to your Airbnb or Vrbo booking calendar.
That means:
- Smart locks are programmed only during stays
- Thermostats turn on before guests arrive
- Water valves shut off between bookings
- Lights run only when someone is checked in
This kind of rental-aware automation is a game-changer—and Rental Home Automator makes it easy with SmartThings.
💡 Tip: There are tons of step-by-steps guides on how to set up devices & systems at your short-term rental in our knowledge base
5. Easy for Hosts and Staff to Use
SmartThings’ mobile app is intuitive, clean, and reliable. Whether you’re a first-time host or managing multiple properties, you’ll be able to:
- Add new devices with guided setup
- Monitor device status remotely
- Receive alerts and automate responses
- Share limited access with cleaners or co-hosts
And everything can be accessed from your Rental Home Automator dashboard—giving you complete visibility in one place.
6. Future-Proof and Actively Supported
SmartThings is backed by Samsung, which continues to invest in new device integrations and smart home standards. The platform is actively maintained and evolving alongside technologies like Matter and Thread.
If you’re looking for a system that won’t become obsolete in 2 years, SmartThings is your safest bet.
If you’re looking to build a smart Airbnb that saves you time, protects your property, and improves the guest experience, SmartThings is the best platform to start with.
It offers:
- Unmatched compatibility
- Guest-safe account structure
- Full support for the most important automation standards
- Seamless integration with Rental Home Automator
In short: it works, it’s secure, and it grows with your rental business.
Want to learn more about which smart home automation protocol you should use at your short term rental?
