Our Platform

Why we built Staykey
on Home Assistant

We chose the world's most trusted open-source smart home platform to give vacation rental hosts what they deserve: reliability, privacy, and control—without paying forever.

The Foundation

What is Home Assistant, and why does it matter for my rental?

Think of Home Assistant as Android for smart homes—an open platform that works with everything. Instead of being locked into one brand or ecosystem, you get to choose the best devices and control them all from one place.

The key difference: Home Assistant runs locally in your property. Your smart home doesn't depend on someone else's cloud staying online.

In Simple Terms:

  • Free, open-source software
    Created by the community, no company controlling it
  • Runs on a small hub in your property
    About the size of a deck of cards, plugs into your router
  • Works with 1,000+ smart devices
    Any manufacturer, any protocol—locks, thermostats, lights, garage doors
  • No monthly fees for the platform
    Buy the hardware once, own it forever

Works with devices you choose

Pick the best hardware for your needs—you're not locked into one brand

Smart Locks
Yale, Schlage, August
Thermostats
Honeywell, ecobee
Garage Doors
Konnected, Meross
Lights & Switches
Philips Hue, GE, Lutron

Built on principles that matter to hosts

Home Assistant's core philosophy aligns perfectly with what vacation rental hosts need

Privacy First
Your guest data, booking information, and access codes stay in your property—not on someone else's servers. No third-party data mining or privacy concerns.
Local Execution
Home Assistant processes device commands locally—no cloud round-trips. Physical access codes work offline once programmed. Device controls through the guest portal require internet, but execute instantly through your local hub.
No Vendor Lock-In
Switch devices, add new protocols, or even move to a different automation layer. You're never trapped in a closed ecosystem.
Community-Driven
Over 10 years old with millions of active users. Constant improvements, extensive documentation, and a helpful community when you need support.
You Own It
Buy the hardware once, no recurring platform fees. No surprise subscription increases or features held hostage behind paywalls.
Open & Extensible
Add custom automations, integrate new services, or build your own features. The platform grows with your needs.

Why we chose Home Assistant for Staykey

As hosts ourselves, we knew exactly what platform could deliver the reliability and flexibility vacation rentals demand

A
Ammon, Co-founder
Host
"I wired everything through Home Assistant. Smart locks, thermostats, garage doors. The tech was there. But guest access? Still stubbornly unreliable. I needed a platform I could trust to work at 2am when guests arrive—not one that goes down because some cloud service has an outage. Home Assistant gave me that foundation."

Reliability for Hosts

  • Local execution means existing codes and automations work even during brief internet outages
  • Proven stable platform used by millions of homes
  • Not dependent on a startup that might shut down

Cost Efficiency

  • No per-device subscription fees from manufacturers
  • Use any Z-Wave or Zigbee device—shop for best value
  • Hardware costs are one-time, not recurring

Future-Proof

  • Add new devices without platform limitations
  • Staykey adds rental automation on top of your setup
  • You're never locked into our service

Full Control

  • Inspect and modify your smart home setup
  • Advanced users can extend functionality
  • Full visibility into how everything works

What this means for your vacation rental

Real benefits that matter when you're managing a property remotely

Guest Access Reliability

Once Staykey sets access codes through Home Assistant, they're stored locally on your lock. Guests can unlock the door even during internet outages because the codes live on the device itself, not in the cloud.

Real scenario: Your WiFi router restarts during a guest arrival. With cloud-only locks, they're locked out. With local storage, the code they were given still works because it's already programmed into the lock.
Important: Physical access codes work offline once set. However, controlling devices through the Staykey guest portal (thermostat, lights, etc.) requires internet connectivity. Staykey needs internet to set up new bookings and for guests to use device controls.
Device Compatibility

Choose the best lock for your door, the best thermostat for your HVAC, the best garage opener for your needs. You're not limited to one manufacturer's ecosystem.

Example: Use a Yale lock, Honeywell thermostat, and Meross garage opener—all working together seamlessly.
Cost Control

No surprise subscription fees from device manufacturers. No "premium features" locked behind additional monthly charges. Buy once, own forever.

Cost comparison: Cloud platforms charge $3-10/month per device. With Home Assistant, zero recurring platform fees.
Privacy & Security

Guest booking data, access patterns, and property information stay on your infrastructure. No third-party companies mining your rental data or selling it to competitors.

Your data: Stored locally, backed up to your cloud of choice, never shared without permission.
Customization Options

Need property-specific automations? Set different temperature schedules per season, create custom scenes for different guest types, or integrate unique devices—it's all possible.

Power user option: Advanced hosts can extend both Home Assistant and Staykey with custom scripts.

What about other platforms?

A fair comparison of smart home options for vacation rentals

Cloud-Only Platforms

SmartThings, Ring, etc.

Easy setup
✗Depends on company's servers staying online
✗Privacy concerns with cloud data storage
✗Guest lockout if internet/cloud fails

Proprietary Ecosystems

Apple HomeKit, proprietary hubs

Good user experience
✗Limited device compatibility
✗Higher hardware costs (proprietary devices)
✗Vendor lock-in—switching is expensive

DIY Home Assistant

Pure Home Assistant setup

Ultimate flexibility and control
Works with everything
✗No rental-specific automations built-in
✗Steep learning curve for automations
Staykey's Choice

Staykey + Home Assistant

Best of both worlds

Open platform—all HA benefits
Rental-specific automation built-in
Simple setup—we handle complexity
Local control + cloud convenience

The bottom line

We chose Home Assistant because vacation rental hosts deserve the same reliability, privacy, and control that millions of smart home users already trust—without paying forever.

1,000+
Compatible devices
$0
Platform subscription fees
Millions
Of active users worldwide

What this means for you

If Staykey disappeared tomorrow

Your smart home still works. You own the hardware, you control the platform. Your investment is protected.

No surprise fees, ever

Device manufacturers can't suddenly add subscription fees. Your costs are predictable and transparent.

You're in control

Want to add custom automations? Switch to another service? You can. Your property, your rules.

Ready to experience the difference?

Start with a 30-day free trial. See how Home Assistant's reliability and flexibility transforms your hosting.

Free for 30 days. Cancel anytime. No credit card charged until after trial.