August locks and Airbnb automate vacation rental access
August Smart Locks can automatically create and deliver an access PIN to scheduled Airbnb guests.
The August Smart Lock Pro is a retrofit smart lock designed to work with your existing deadbolt.
Update, June 27th: An Airbnb representative reached out to CNET, stating that Airbnb did not collaborate with August on this new integration.
"We didn't announce this news/product/integration with them, nor did we collaborate with them on this new feature," said the spokesperson. "While we've worked with August in the past, they are unfortunately using our brand to promote their news/new capability without our participation/endorsement/permission."
Airbnb did confirm that August was able to create the integration through part of an API that is available to many of Airbnb's partners, adding, "This is their product -- available for anyone to purchase -- and has not been developed with or endorsed by us or Airbnb hosts."
August VP of Sales and Marketing, Dale Pistilli responded saying:
The announcement August recently made was about integrating our Smart Keypad into the Airbnb platform. While the partnership between August and Airbnb isn't new since August is already a member of the ongoing Airbnb Host Assist Program, the automated capabilities we recently unveiled are new and were not announced until yesterday. These new features were made as a direct response to Airbnb host and guest requests for a simpler way to access rental properties and are managed within the August mobile app.
Airbnb hosts can now allow August locks to automatically generate access codes and deliver them to short-term rental guests, the lock-maker announced on Tuesday.
Now, when someone makes a reservation for an Airbnb property that's equipped with both an August Smart Lock and Smart Keypad, August will generate and deliver a unique access code for the dates and times of the reservation.
If you're an Airbnb host, you'll need to link your Airbnb and August accounts in the August app, and own both its Smart Keypad and Smart Lock. If you'd like to remotely provide a PIN, you'll also need the August Connect Wi-Fi Bridge. If you have the necessary August hardware, you can choose from two ways to share access to your short-term rental:
- A custom PIN for your August Smart Keypad that August automatically generates when the reservation is made
- Mobile phone access via the August app
The August Smart Keypad allows guests to enter a PIN and unlock an August Smart Lock.
You can also choose to give guests access via both the PIN and August app access. Once a guest reserves your property, they'll get an email with instructions based on the method of access you selected. Any changes to a guest's reservation, including a cancellation, will update the access times and days. Once the stay is over, the access automatically ends.
The move expands August's involvement in vacation rental access. Last year, it announced the same capabilities with Airbnb rival HomeAway.
