Yale Assure Lock 2 for vacation rentals: buy the version with Wi-Fi.

Bluetooth or Wi-Fi: the one decision that matters

Yale says Bluetooth is included in every Assure Lock 2 and a Wi-Fi module upgrade is required for remote access. Without it, you can only control the lock remotely through an Apple home hub (Apple TV or HomePod) with HomeKit, which neither Airbnb’s integration nor Seam use for codes. For a rental, buy the version with Wi-Fi, the host kit with the Yale Connect Wi-Fi Bridge, or add the Yale Wi-Fi Smart Module.

What the lock gives you

• Up to 250 entry codes in the Yale Access app.
• Four AA batteries, included.
• Yale’s host kit is sold with a Connect Wi-Fi Bridge and pitched for unique, temporary codes for each booking.
• Wi-Fi models connect to a 2.4 GHz network.

With Airbnb

Airbnb’s help center lists the Yale Assure Lock 2 with Wi-Fi, the Assure Lock 2 Touch with Wi-Fi, the Assure Lock 2 Plus with Wi-Fi and the Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi plus a keypad. For listings in the US and Canada, Airbnb then generates a code for each guest, active only during the stay. One lock per listing.

With your own booking site

Seam, the device platform Smart Stay uses, connects Yale locks with built-in Wi-Fi through the Yale Access app in North America or Yale Home elsewhere; locks without Wi-Fi need Yale’s upgrade kit. With Smart Stay on a No Effort Rentals site:

• For every confirmed booking on your site, it creates a 6-digit door code that works from check-in to checkout, local time.
• It emails the code to the guest three days before arrival, from your site, under your name.
• It moves or removes the code when the booking is changed or canceled, and the code stops working at checkout.
• It tells you before the next arrival if a lock is offline or its battery is low.
• For Airbnb and Booking.com stays it can also make codes from the synced calendar, if you turn it on per property; you then send the code through the platform’s chat, because calendars don’t carry guest contacts.

Setup checklist

1. Install the lock and set it up in the Yale Access (or Yale Home) app, on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi or with the bridge.
2. Add your own code and the cleaner’s.
3. For Airbnb stays in the US or Canada, connect the lock in Airbnb’s smart lock settings.
4. In Smart Stay, connect your Yale account, assign the lock to the property, check the time zone.
5. Make a test booking on your site and watch the code appear.

Questions hosts ask