One problem facing Airbnb users is the delivery of keys to the property, a process that can be burdensome as well as unsafe. LEAPIN Digital Keys, an Australian start-up, aims to address some common issues facing Airbnb users with smart locks.
One phenomenon that has taken the hospitality industry by storm is Airbnb, a platform that connects property owners interested in renting out space and vacationers looking for a place to stay. One problem facing Airbnb users, though, is the delivery of keys to the property, a process that can be burdensome as well as unsafe. LEAPIN Digital Keys, an Australian start-up that aims to address some common issues facing Airbnb users, has recently launched a new line of digital keys smart locks targeting this expanding market, and the online store where the locks can be obtained.
Right now, the primary method to access Airbnb host properties is still through traditional mechanical keys, which carry safety issues. “People should be aware that they are exposing themselves to greater risks of distributing their metal keys to strangers on Airbnb, where the stranger can copy or lose, or keep a metal key and say they've lost it, and come back anytime in the future and let themselves in again, and steal assets, or attack the people in the property they have unauthorized unlimited access to,” said Steve Dunn, CEO and Cofounder of LEAPIN Digital Keys. “Hotels have had the option to take advantage of the keycard access control systems/locks for over 30 years now, but it’s only been in the last year or two that households can take advantage of all the benefits of timed access control with these new products called ‘smart locks.’”
According to Dunn, security is the hallmark of smart locks, which open upon interacting with the user’s time-sensitive PIN code. “The platform technology we use in our smart locks is called time-limited one-time password technology (TOTP) which was developed by the banks around 15 years ago for credit cards and online shopping,” Dunn said. “The TOTP technology can be used in conjunction with NFC or Bluetooth low energy and 128-bit encryption to unlock the smart locks, or the TOTP can be used on its own with time-sensitive PINs distributed to anyone for entering onto keypads on the smart locks to unlock the doors.”
Besides security, smart locks carry additional benefits, one of which is greater flexibility and manageability of who goes into the host’s property and at what time. “Smart locks offer owners the ability to distribute the time-sensitive digital key remotely – that is, you can email/SMS the key to anyone's phone without physically having to meet the person you were distributing the key too,” Dunn said. “So smart locks are perfect for Airbnb hosts as they can take advantage of better security and convenience for themselves and their guests, as well as the cost savings in never having to replace locks every again.”
According to Dunn, LEAPIN’s range of smart locks, available now for sale on its online store, are the result of five years of research and development work. “We’ve bootstrapped our R&D, so it’s been a long road, but we’re excited that our European lock manufacturer partners who added our technology to their existing keycard locks have finally started selling our product to hotels across Europe,” he said. “Now we’re excited to bring our digital key smart locks to Airbnb hosts all over the world through our online store.”
Product Adopted:Locks