Setting Up Z-Wave Devices

Z-Wave Device Setup

Z-Wave devices provide reliable, local control of your smart home devices. Here's how to set them up with Staykey:

What You'll Need

• A Z-Wave USB stick (we recommend Zooz 800 Series Z-Wave Long Range S2 USB Stick ZST39 LR)
• Z-Wave compatible devices (locks, thermostats, switches)
• Home Assistant with Z-Wave integration configured

Adding Devices to Home Assistant

1. Open Home Assistant and navigate to Settings → Devices & Services
2. Click "Add Integration" and search for "Z-Wave JS"
3. Follow the setup wizard to configure your Z-Wave stick
4. Put your Z-Wave device into pairing mode (consult device manual)
5. In Home Assistant, click "Add Device" in the Z-Wave integration
6. Wait for the device to be discovered and added

Enabling devices in Staykey

Pairing happens in Home Assistant. Once the device shows up in HA, there are two more steps in Staykey: enable it on the integration, then (optionally) enable it for the guest dashboard.

1. Enable on the Home Assistant integration

This tells Staykey which HA devices it's allowed to manage (code rotation, state reads, locking/unlocking, etc.).

1. Navigate to your property settings in Staykey
2. Go to the Home Assistant integration settings for that property
3. Select the devices you want Staykey to manage from your Home Assistant devices
4. Configure device-specific settings (names, rooms, etc.)
5. Test the device to confirm Staykey can reach it

Devices enabled here are under Staykey's management, but they are not yet visible to guests.

2. Enable on the guest dashboard (default stay devices)

To automatically surface devices on the guest portal for every new stay:

1. Go to the property edit page in Staykey
2. Find the "Default Stay Devices" or "Guest Devices" section
3. Select which devices should be included by default when a new stay is created
4. Save your changes

These devices will automatically appear on guest dashboards for all new stays. You can still add or remove devices for individual stays as needed.

Troubleshooting

If devices don't appear in Staykey:

• Verify the device is properly added to Home Assistant
• Check that your Home Assistant hub is connected to Staykey
• Ensure the device is powered on and within range
• Try removing and re-adding the device

Related articles

• Hardware Requirements — Z-Wave stick and lock recommendations
• Supported Smart Locks — locks we've tested for guest passcode management
• Connecting Your Home Assistant Hub — wire up HA to Staykey before enabling devices
• Troubleshooting Device Connections — diagnostics when devices go quiet

Still stuck? Contact support with your Z-Wave JS logs and we'll help triage.