If you don’t want to do the meet-and-greet with every guest, lockboxes are a secure and efficient way of facilitating self check-ins. Since safety is one of the top priorities for Airbnb hosts, you want to use the best lockbox for Airbnb and vacation rentals.
There are tons of lockboxes for you to choose from, but many of them aren’t suitable for short-term rentals. After doing thorough research, we’ve picked out these best of the best lockboxes for Airbnb:
- Best Overall: UPXON Key Lock Box
- Best for Cold Weather: Kidde AccessPoint KeySafe Safe Box
- Best XXL Lock Box: Iron Lock XXL Key Lock Box
- Best for Low Light Conditions: Master Lock Wall Mounted Key Box
- Best for Avoiding Lost Keys: Master Lock Standard Dial + Retractable Key Tether
How Does a Lockbox Work?
A lockbox is like a little safe for keys. It is usually installed on the doorknob or on the wall of the vacation rental so the guests can spot them easily. You just put the keys in there and choose a code for the upcoming guests. Include the code and the location of the lockbox in the check-in instructions and you’re all set!
Some lockboxes are opened with a key, but they are less convenient for Airbnb owners compared to those that are opened with a combination code. You can set up a unique code for each guest to ensure no security breaches.
With a lockbox, you don’t need to hand over or pick up keys in person because the lockbox will take care of that. Guests can check in and check out whenever they please without you being there.
Why Get a Lockbox for Your Airbnb?
According to Reddit’s poll about Airbnbs, 85.4% of Airbnb users prefer self check-ins. This includes both hosts and guests. If you don’t want to deal with techy gadgets such as smart locks or worry about when the battery will run out, a lockbox is an efficient and more affordable way of introducing self check-in to your property.
Here are the main benefits of self check-in:
Attract More Guests – Adding self check-in as one of the amenities of your listing means guests who filter search results by self check-in availability will come across to your short-term rental.
Make Guests Feel More at Home – Since they’ll be able to arrive to your Airbnb and let themselves in, guests will feel more relaxed and more at home compared to when the host needs to let them in.
Save Time – Delayed flights and unplanned events can change the check-in and check-out time, which can be time-consuming for hosts. With a lockbox, you will save a lot of your valuable time.
Manage Multiple Properties – If you have several vacation rentals, you’ll be able to juggle the hosting responsibilities much more easily. You can have several groups of guests checking in at different properties at the same time since you don’t need to physically greet them.
Increase Security – With the ability to set different codes for your guests, you won’t need to worry about someone else having access to the keys. You can even set up a different code for housekeeping.
Factors to Consider When Buying an Airbnb Lockbox
When you start browsing around for the best Airbnb lockbox, you should look for these essential features:
Types – When it comes to manual lock types, you can choose between combination dial, wheel, and push-button. Dial locks are the ones with a spinning knob and the guests will need to rotate the dials until they line up the number of their code. Wheel locks have different wheels of numbers and letters that guests scroll through until they have their combination in the window-box opening. Lastly, push buttons require pressing the numbers to get the code. What’s great about manual locks is that you don’t have to worry about Wi-Fi connections, batteries, or app glitches. Also, everyone knows how to operate these—a big consideration if you frequently host older guests.
However, if you’re leaning toward digital models, you can get a lockbox with a keypad. There are also smart lockboxes that are operated through an app. These are electronic key boxes and you control the access to them via Wi-Fi and a smartphone app.
Placement Method – You can choose between a mounted lockbox that is affixed to your property and a shackled lockbox that has a loop that secures it around the door handle or fence. While mounted lockboxes are more secure, they are also more difficult to install, and there’s the risk of damaging the property while you’re setting it up.
Size – The size of the lockbox depends on the number of keys you’re leaving for your guests. If you’re leaving a single key, you can go with the smallest lockbox. However, if you’re leaving extra keys for large groups or for amenities like a sauna, you’ll need to get a larger lockbox.
Security Level – For optimal protection, you should aim for a tamper-proof lockbox. Since you’re leaving the keys unsupervised, the risk exists, but a tamper-proof lockbox is harder to break into. If you have a security alarm or security cameras, you’ll be even more at ease.
The Best Lockbox for Airbnb and Vacation Rentals
If you want a lockbox that fits everyone’s needs and has the best combination of price and value, you don’t need to look further—we present to you the UPXON Key Lock Box.
Here’s what stood out for us about this lockbox:
Extremely Durable and Sturdy – The box is made of aluminum, zinc alloy, and heavy-duty steel to protect it from hammering, sawing, or prying.
Large Capacity – This lockbox fits up to 5 keys so you can leave the keys to the rental, garage, or any amenity you wish. The space is also large enough for placing cards inside.
Can Be Both Mounted and Shackled – You get to choose whether you want to mount the lockbox on the wall of the property or hang it securely on the doorknob, fence, or wherever you wish.
Weatherproof – UPXON lockbox is rust-proof, corrosion-resistant, and waterproof so it can endure any weather conditions. It also has a slide cover for extra protection against rain, snow, or freezing temperatures.
Easy to Set – You only need to open the box with the default 0000 code, press the reset button from A to B, set up a new code, press the reset button from B to A, and that’s it! Your guests will just need to enter a 4-digit code to get in, and you’ll have over 10,000 unique combinations available to set for different guests, house cleaners, and maintenance staff.
Other Airbnb Lockbox Alternatives
We won’t leave you with just one option as your needs might demand a lockbox with different features. Here are a few great and durable alternatives for an Airbnb lockbox.
If you live in a cold climate and don’t want to risk having the lockbox frozen shut, we suggest the Kidde AccessPoint KeySafe Safe Box. This lockbox can handle the coldest winters, even if it gets to -30°C (-22°F). It also protects against rust, water, humidity, vibration, and more.
XXL lockboxes are suitable for hosts who need to store several keys for their guests. In that case, you might find the perfect fit in this Iron Lock XXL Key Lock Box. In addition to having a large storage capacity, it is also tamper-proof, waterproof, and weather resistant.
Some properties don’t have the best outdoor lighting, and in that case, you should consider getting a lockbox with dials that light up. The Master Lock 5425E Wall Mounted Key Box is great for that purpose. This is a mounted lockbox with a weather cover for increased durability. When you open the weather cover, the dials light up automatically which is great for low light conditions.
Do you want to make sure that your guests don’t lose keys? Then you should get a lockbox with a key tether, such as this Master Lock 5400EC Standard Dial + Retractable Key Tether bundle.
The lock box is the first line of protection with its metal construction and weather protection cover. Once the guests open that, they’ll find a retractable key tether that secures the keys to the lockbox so guests can’t take them with them and lose them somewhere. This key tether also works with other Master Lock lock boxes, including the above-mentioned Wall Mounted Key Box, their Wall Mount Key Lock Box with Resettable Combination Lock, as well as the Electronic Portable Key Safe, and other models.
Final Thoughts
If you want a secure, durable, tamper-proof, and affordable lockbox with large capacity, you’ll find it in our top pick, the UPXON Key Lock Box. We’re sticking to this choice because it is the best overall lockbox that can fit the needs of most Airbnb hosts. If you need a lockbox with some specific features, you can find that in one of our carefully-picked alternatives.
