If you've shopped for a smart home device in the last year, you've seen the word Matter on every box. Apple pushes it. Google pushes it. Amazon pushes it. Samsung pushes it. Device makers slap the logo on packaging and hope you'll assume it means "works with everything."
For Airbnb hosts, the hype has been slightly ahead of reality. Matter-compatible locks existed long before you could actually manage per-guest access codes on them — which is the one feature short-term-rental operators actually need. That changed recently, and it's worth understanding why.
This guide covers:
- What Matter actually is (a protocol, not a brand)
- What it does well and what still doesn't work as advertised
- Why most Matter locks were unusable for hosts until 2025
- The Home Assistant passcode update that changes the calculus
- Which Matter locks work with Staykey today
- Whether you should buy a Matter lock right now
What Matter actually is
Matter is a smart-home networking standard, not a product. It was announced as "Project CHIP" in 2019, renamed to Matter in 2021, and shipped its 1.0 spec in late 2022. It's governed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), which counts Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung, and a long list of hardware makers as members.
Two things to understand up front:
Matter is a protocol, like HTTP. It defines how smart-home devices talk to each other. It doesn't define what the devices look like, who manufactures them, or which ecosystem you use (Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, or Home Assistant).
Matter runs on top of existing network transports. Wi-Fi and a low-power mesh network called Thread are the two primary ones. Ethernet is supported too. Matter doesn't replace your home network — it rides on it.
The pitch, in one sentence: you should be able to buy any Matter-labeled device and have it work with any Matter-labeled controller, without caring about brands.
What Matter does well
A few things Matter genuinely delivers on:
Cross-ecosystem pairing. A Matter-branded lock can be paired to Apple Home and Google Home and Amazon Alexa and a Home Assistant hub, all at once. No more "this bulb only works with Hue, this plug only works with Alexa" fragmentation.
Local control by default. Matter devices on a Thread or Wi-Fi network communicate locally — they don't need a cloud round-trip to turn on a light. This aligns well with what we think matters for vacation rentals.
Less vendor lock-in. Because the protocol is open, device makers can't hold your automations hostage if their cloud service shuts down. Your hardware keeps working as long as you have any Matter controller.
A growing device list. Locks, thermostats, plugs, switches, blinds, sensors, and cameras are all on the Matter roadmap. Some are shipping, some are still "coming soon." Check the CSA's official product list before buying anything.
What Matter does *not* do (yet)
The gap between "Matter compatible" on the box and "works for your specific use case" is wide. For vacation rental hosts specifically:
Matter 1.0 locks didn't support passcodes in a host-usable way. The original spec exposed lock/unlock, battery, and basic state — but not the programmatic creation and expiration of numeric codes for individual users. That made Matter locks great for your personal home (where you unlock with your phone) and useless for a rental (where the guest types a PIN on the keypad).
Matter 1.2 added passcode support, but device makers had to implement it. Most locks that shipped "Matter 1.0 compatible" never got updated. If the box says "Matter" but predates late 2024, you may be stuck with basic lock/unlock and nothing else.
Controllers have to support the new features too. Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa all added Matter lock PIN management on their own schedules. Which brings us to the news.
You may still need the manufacturer's app and account. In theory, Matter lets you skip vendor apps and pair a device directly to your controller. In practice, most locks still ask you to download the manufacturer's app, create an account, and walk through a vendor-specific commissioning flow before Matter takes over. Firmware updates, Thread radio setup, factory resets, and battery reporting often live in the vendor app too. Matter shrinks the app ecosystem — it doesn't eliminate it.
What changed for hosts: Home Assistant passcode support
The short-term rental industry has quietly been waiting for this one. Home Assistant — the open-source smart home platform Staykey is built on — recently shipped full Matter lock user and credential management. That means a Matter lock paired to Home Assistant can now:
- Accept programmatically created PIN codes
- Assign those codes to specific user slots
- Automatically expire codes (or revoke them on demand)
- Report which code was used to unlock, via events
This is the exact feature set hosts need. It's the same interface Home Assistant has had for years on Z-Wave locks, now extended to Matter.
In practical terms: when you pair a Matter-compatible lock (that itself supports Matter 1.2+ features) to a Home Assistant hub, Staykey can treat it the same way it treats a Z-Wave lock. Per-booking codes, automatic rotation, time-bound access — the whole flow.
Not every Matter lock supports the new credential features. It depends on the manufacturer's firmware. But for the first time, "Matter lock for Airbnb" is a real category instead of a wish list.
Which Matter locks work with Staykey today
This is moving week-to-week, so rather than maintain a list that'll be stale in a month, the current, authoritative check is:
- Supported smart locks — Staykey's live compatibility matrix
- Home Assistant Matter integration docs — the canonical list of what HA supports
In general, as of 2026:
- Aqara U200 / U300 — Matter over Thread, credential support, works with HA 2025.x+
- Schlage Encode Plus — Matter over Thread on newer firmware; falls back to Wi-Fi API otherwise
- Yale Assure 2 Plus — Matter over Thread, growing support
- Eufy Security Smart Lock S330 — Matter 1.2 credential support on recent firmware
- TCL / Level / Nuki — mixed; check firmware version before buying
A lock needs three things aligned to work for Staykey:
- The lock itself supports Matter 1.2+ credential management
- You have a Thread border router or Wi-Fi infrastructure the lock can use
- You're running Home Assistant 2024.11+ (earlier versions don't have the credential API)
If any of those is missing, the lock will pair but Staykey won't be able to manage codes on it.
Should you buy a Matter lock right now?
The short answer: we still recommend Z-Wave locks as the default for vacation rentals whenever possible. Z-Wave has been the battle-tested protocol for host-grade code rotation for close to a decade — the firmware is mature, the failure modes are well-understood, and it has the longest track record with Staykey users. Matter finally works; it just doesn't yet beat Z-Wave on reliability.
That said, your situation matters:
You don't own a smart lock yet and you're setting up a new property — Start with a Z-Wave lock and a Z-Wave-capable hub (the Home Assistant Green or Yellow with a Z-Wave stick both work). A Matter-over-Thread lock is a defensible second choice if you specifically want cross-ecosystem pairing (Apple Home + Google Home + HA, all at once) or you already have a Thread border router you want to lean on. For pure "automated per-booking codes that never surprise me," Z-Wave still wins. See the hardware planner to generate a full parts list.
You already own a Z-Wave lock that works — Don't replace it. Z-Wave locks are still the most reliable in production and Matter's credential story, while finally working, is newer. "It works perfectly" beats "it's new" every time.
You own a Wi-Fi-only lock from before 2024 — It probably won't get Matter credential support via firmware. If you're otherwise happy with it, keep it. If you're already planning a replacement, make the new one Matter + Thread.
You're running HomeKit-only and trying to avoid Home Assistant — Matter credentials through Apple Home are still limited compared to HA's implementation. If you're locked in to Apple Home and don't want to add a hub, wait another 6–12 months for parity, or accept per-stay code management will be clunkier.
The "Thread border router" question
Matter over Thread requires a Thread border router — a device that bridges the Thread mesh to your Wi-Fi / Ethernet network. Short-term rentals almost never have one by default, because most consumer border routers are smart speakers — and a live microphone in a guest bedroom isn't what you want in a rental. So plan to add one.
For a Staykey property, the cleanest setup is:
- Home Assistant Green (~$149) — the hub that runs Staykey's supported platform.
- Home Assistant Connect ZBT-1 (~$40, formerly SkyConnect) — an official USB radio dongle that plugs into Green. HA Green has no Thread or Zigbee radio built in; the ZBT-1 is what actually turns it into a Thread border router (and a Zigbee coordinator too, if you want it).
Real cost: around $140 for both. One small box runs Home Assistant, talks to Staykey, and bridges Thread for any Matter locks you add later.
If you already own one of these in the property and want to experiment before buying more hardware, they also work as Thread border routers:
- Apple HomePod mini (original 2020 model) and HomePod 2nd gen
- Apple TV 4K 3rd gen (2022) — earlier Apple TVs don't have Thread
- Google Nest Hub 2nd gen, Nest Hub Max, and Nest Wifi Pro
- Amazon Echo 4th gen and Echo Hub (most other Echo models don't have Thread)
The catch: those devices tie the lock primarily to Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa. Staykey manages codes through Home Assistant, so you'd still need HA somewhere in the chain. For a clean production setup, HA Green + Connect ZBT-1 is the recommended path.
What this means for the hype
"Matter compatible" on a box in 2026 means something closer to what the marketing implied in 2022. For most of the last three years, hosts buying Matter locks were buying promises; now they're buying working hardware. But the fine print still matters:
- Confirm the lock supports Matter 1.2 credential management (read the product page, not the box)
- Confirm your controller supports it (Home Assistant 2024.11+ does)
- Confirm the lock's firmware is current before you judge it
If all three align, a Matter lock gets close to the code-rotation reliability Z-Wave has delivered for years. That's a real milestone — but "close to" isn't "better than." For most hosts, Z-Wave remains our default recommendation for new installs: mature firmware, known failure modes, and the longest track record with Staykey in production. Matter is worth reaching for in specific cases — cross-ecosystem pairing, Thread-first households, or consolidating around an existing Apple / Google setup — but if the goal is simply "per-booking codes that never surprise me," there's no reason to pick anything other than Z-Wave today.
Keep reading
- The complete guide to smart locks for Airbnb hosts — hardware selection deep dive (Wi-Fi / Z-Wave / Zigbee / Matter trade-offs)
- Airbnb smart lock requirements — what actually passes host standards
- Why we built Staykey on Home Assistant — the platform that makes Matter + host-grade code management possible
- Supported smart locks — current compatibility matrix
- Hardware planner — generate a parts list for a Home Assistant + Matter setup