{"id":8966,"date":"2017-05-19T15:19:44","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T19:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/?p=8966"},"modified":"2024-01-16T11:26:17","modified_gmt":"2024-01-16T16:26:17","slug":"rental-property-monitoring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/rental-property-monitoring\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Monitor a Vacation Rental Property When You Can&#8217;t be There"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Attention vacation rental property owners:<\/strong><\/em> Imagine how much easier your job would be if you could monitor and manage your rental property from anywhere using your smartphone or computer? With these cool devices and a high-speed Internet connection at your rental site, you can use a smartphone, tablet or computer to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Control heating and cooling;<\/li>\n<li>Automate lighting;<\/li>\n<li>Receive alerts if your smoke or CO detectors are alarming;<\/li>\n<li>View real-time surveillance video of the activity outside your house.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Adding remote monitoring and control to your rental property doesn&#8217;t have to be difficult or expensive.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0All of the devices featured here are designed for do-it-yourself installation as well as priced for budget-conscious property owners.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Control Heat and A\/C Remotely<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Problem:<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 Energy can be one of the greatest expenses at a rental property. How can you control the thermostat if you&#8217;re not there?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution:<\/strong> With a remote-controlled programmable thermostat like the <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9538-new-venstar-colortouch-thermostat-on-board-wifi-option.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9538-new-venstar-colortouch-thermostat-on-board-wifi-option.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Venstar ColorTouch<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>you can monitor and control the heat and central A\/C in your rental property from anywhere via your smartphone or computer. You can also use the free mobile app for monitoring.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9538-new-venstar-colortouch-thermostat-onboard-wifi-option.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9538-new-venstar-colortouch-thermostat-onboard-wifi-option.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" title=\"With a Venstar ColorTouch thermostat, rental property owners can set high and low temperature limits for their tenants.\" src=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/images\/Product\/medium\/9538.jpg\" alt=\"New Venstar Colortouch Thermostat (On Board wifi option!)\" width=\"175\" height=\"175\" \/><\/a>Key Benefits:<\/strong> Further, pre-heating or pre-cooling your house before tenants arrive&#8230; is a service they will definitely appreciate! Also, learn if tenants remembered to adjust the temperature upon check out, and if they didn&#8217;t, lower the heat or turn off the A\/C from anywhere using your smartphone.\u00c2\u00a0 Limit high or low temperatures a tenant can set, or, restrict their access by requiring a passcode.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Price:<\/strong> Around $170.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Control Lighting from Anywhere<\/h2>\n<p><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9646-samsung-smartthings-leviton-home-automation-bundle.aspx');\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9646-samsung-smartthings-leviton-home-automation-bundle.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" title=\"Automate the lighting at your rental property with the Samsung SmartThings control system.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/images\/Product\/medium\/9646.jpg\" alt=\"Samsung SmartThings + Leviton Home Automation Bundle\" width=\"191\" height=\"191\" \/><\/a><strong>Problem:<\/strong> A dark house at night is a flag to burglars that no one is home.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution:<\/strong> Control and automate the lighting at your rental property remotely with a smart home control kit like the <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9646-samsung-smartthings-leviton-home-automation-bundle.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9646-samsung-smartthings-leviton-home-automation-bundle.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Samsung SmartThings + Leviton Home Automation Bundle<\/a><\/strong>. This expandable system connects wirelessly with a wide range of smart devices and makes them work together. It comes with the SmartThings hub, a Leviton universal dimmer and a Leviton switch as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Benefits:<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 Create a random on\/off lighting scheme to fool potential intruders. Works with all kinds of lighting, from latest dimmable LED and CFL technologies to traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs. Compatible with many &#8220;smart&#8221; <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-252-z-wave-home-control.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-252-z-wave-home-control.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Z-wave<\/strong><\/a>, Zigbee, and WiFi sensors and modules, including lights, speakers, locks, thermostats, sensors and more.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Price:<\/strong> About $240.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Receive Instant Alerts if Smoke\/CO Detectors are Alarming<\/h2>\n<p><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9580-kidde-remotelync-smart-home-smokeco-alarm-monitor.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9580-kidde-remotelync-smart-home-smokeco-alarm-monitor.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" title=\"If your smoke or CO detector goes off, RemoteLync uses your home\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s WiFi to send an alert to your smartphone.\" src=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/images\/product\/medium\/9580_2_.jpg\" alt=\"Kidde RemoteLync Smart Home Smoke\/CO Alarm Monitor\" width=\"176\" height=\"176\" \/><\/a><strong>Problem:<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 If both you and your tenants are out, how will you know if the smoke or carbon monoxide detectors in your rental property are activated?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution:<\/strong> With a <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9580-kidde-remotelync-smart-home-smokeco-alarm-monitor.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9580-kidde-remotelync-smart-home-smokeco-alarm-monitor.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kidde RemoteLync Smart Home Smoke\/Carbon Monoxide Alarm<\/a><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9580-kidde-remotelync-smart-home-smokeco-alarm-monitor.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9580-kidde-remotelync-smart-home-smokeco-alarm-monitor.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Monitor<\/a><\/strong>, you will.<\/p>\n<p>RemoteLync listens to existing smoke and CO alarms and automatically sends an alert to your iPhone or Android-compatible smartphone or tablet if one of these alarms goes off. Plugs into a wall outlet and communicates via the home&#8217;s wireless router. One RemoteLync covers an average-sized home.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Benefits:<\/strong> Receive instant notification of a home emergency when you are away from your rental property.\u00c2\u00a0 In addition, it is an easy plug-and-play setup. As well, it communicates with most UL-listed smoke and CO alarms manufactured after 1999. You won&#8217;t have to install all new alarms throughout your home.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Price:<\/strong> Around $100 with no recurring service fees.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>View Live Video of Tenants, Servicemen and Trespassers Coming and Going<\/h2>\n<p><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9647-arlo-security-system-1-wire-free-hd-camera-indooroutdoor-night-vision.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9647-arlo-security-system-1-wire-free-hd-camera-indooroutdoor-night-vision.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" title=\"The Arlo HD security camera lets you see all of the live action at your rental property in stunning detail.\" src=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/images\/Product\/medium\/9647.jpg\" alt=\"Arlo Security System - 1 Wire-Free HD Camera, Indoor\/Outdoor, Night Vision\" width=\"178\" height=\"178\" \/><\/a><strong>Problem:<\/strong> Coordinating things like cleaning services or deliveries is difficult when you don&#8217;t know when your tenants have checked in or out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution:<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0An outdoor motion-activated surveillance camera like the <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9647-arlo-security-system-1-wire-free-hd-camera-indooroutdoor-night-vision.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9647-arlo-security-system-1-wire-free-hd-camera-indooroutdoor-night-vision.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Arlo HD security camera<\/strong><\/a> watching over the entrance of your vacation rental property. You&#8217;ll receive automatic real-time email or push notifications when tenants, service people, deliveries, visitors, and trespassers have arrived or departed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Benefits:<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 First, it lets you watch live remote video streaming of the activity at your house on your smartphone. Also, it stores up to 7 days of video for later viewing. Another feature is that the wireless setup is simple, you can do it yourself. Night vision cameras work even in the dark. In addition, you can add up to 5 cameras to observe activity all around your home&#8217;s perimeter.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Price:<\/strong> About $260. The free basic plan includes 7 days of secure cloud DVR storage. Also, you can upgrade to add more storage if you want.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Other Handy Devices for Rental Property Protection<\/h2>\n<p>In addition, there are many other remote monitoring devices on the market today that make it easy for absentee owners to protect their vacation rental property when they can&#8217;t be there. First, a\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/frequently-asked-questions-about-freeze-alarms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>freeze\/heat alarm<\/strong><\/a>, for instance, is a must-have to make sure your rental home does not incur damage from frozen pipes or high heat and humidity. Also, look for a <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/t-freeze-alarms-comparison-chart.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/t-freeze-alarms-comparison-chart.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>model<\/strong><\/a> based on the type of 24\/7 communications you have at your house &#8212; Internet, landline phone or a good cellular connection. Another issue is keeping out burglars. With a DIY wireless security system like the <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9052-oplink-security-tripleshield-wireless-system.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-9052-oplink-security-tripleshield-wireless-system.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oplink TripleShield<\/a><\/strong> is an affordable alternative to pricey professional alarm companies. Finally, to protect against water leaks around appliances a <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/water-leak-detectors-every-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>water leak detector <\/strong><\/a>can be added.\u00c2\u00a0 Place it by hot water heaters or leak-prone areas, it is one of the best investments a homeowner can make.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Attention vacation rental property owners: Imagine how much easier your job would be if you could monitor and manage your rental property from anywhere using your smartphone or computer? With these cool devices and a high-speed Internet connection at your rental site, you can use&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/rental-property-monitoring\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9051,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,10,9,6],"tags":[685,11,60,829,754,475,158,648,789,735,741,341,25,865],"class_list":["post-8966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flood-intervention","category-freeze-alarms-heat-alarms","category-home-monitoring-security","category-internet-thermostats","tag-featured","tag-freeze-alarms-2","tag-heat-alarms","tag-home-lighting-automation-kit","tag-hot-water-leak-detection-system","tag-outdoor-video-surveillance","tag-programmable-thermostats","tag-remote-control-thermostats","tag-remotelync","tag-smoke-and-co-alarm-monitor","tag-venstar-colortouch-wifi-thermostat","tag-video-surveillance-cameras","tag-water-alarms","tag-wifi-video-camera","clearfix"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8966"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8966\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11360,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8966\/revisions\/11360"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}