Automatic check-in and check-out: total freedom for the host

Automatic check-in: the operational revolution for the modern host

Welcoming every guest in person is time-consuming, restrictive and incompatible with scalable management of several properties. Automatic check-in solutions free you entirely from this logistical dependency while giving guests a smooth, flexible experience available 24/7 — including late arrivals, delayed flights, or arrivals at 11.30pm on a Sunday night. In Belgium, more and more professional hosts and concierge companies have adopted these tools — they have become the industry standard.

Why self-service access also improves guest satisfaction

Contrary to what you might think, self-service access is not experienced by guests as a lack of hospitality. On the contrary, industry studies and our own experience at Hexuvium show that modern travellers often prefer autonomy to a compulsory physical welcome — they appreciate not having to sync their arrival with the owner's schedule, arriving whenever suits them, and slipping in quietly after a long journey. The "Check-in" score on Airbnb is regularly 5/5 on properties with a well-configured smart lock.

Full comparison of the 6 smart locks available in Belgium

The Belgian market for short-term rental smart locks has expanded considerably since 2022. Here is our field comparison of the 6 most relevant solutions, based on our actual installations at owners' properties in Belgium:

Our recommendation by profile

• Owner with 1 property, limited budget: Master Lock 387D (89 €) or Danalock V3 (179 €) — a functional entry-level solution
• Owner with 1–3 properties, maximum comfort: Nuki 3.0 Pro — our top recommendation in Belgium. 10-minute installation, native Airbnb/Smoobu integration, offline codes, excellent mobile app
• Owner who wants the most direct Airbnb integration: Tedee Pro — native Airbnb Keyless integration (codes are managed directly in the Airbnb host app)
• Owner with no internet connection at the property: Igloohome Mortise — specialist in encrypted offline codes, no internet required

The complete 8-step automation workflow: from booking to departure

Here is the end-to-end process we deploy for every Hexuvium property, from the moment a booking is confirmed through to the post-stay review request:

Step 1 — Booking confirmation (automatic, on booking day)

As soon as a booking is confirmed on Airbnb or Booking.com, your channel manager (Smoobu, Hostaway) automatically triggers a personalised welcome message containing: confirmation of the dates and exact address, a link to your digital welcome guide, and a request for the estimated arrival time.

Tool: Smoobu or Hospitable — message templates set up once, triggered automatically on every new booking.

Step 2 — Preparing the access code (day before arrival, morning)

If you use Nuki or Tedee with native Airbnb integration, the access code is generated automatically when the booking is confirmed. If you manage manually (or with Igloohome), create the code in the app the day before and prepare the access message.

Step 3 — Pre-arrival message with access code (day before, 4pm)

An automatic message contains: the unique access code valid only for the stay, detailed access instructions (how to find the door, how to use the lock), the full apartment guide (WiFi, TV, heating, bins), and your restaurant and local activity recommendations.

Step 4 — Cleaning team notification (evening before)

Via Turno or Properly, your cleaning provider receives an automatic notification with the date and time of the turnover, the number of guests expected and any special instructions (baby room, extra bed, welcome basket to prepare).

Step 5 — Guest arrival (arrival day)

The guest arrives entirely independently thanks to the access code. The smart lock records the exact entry time in its access log. You receive a push notification on your smartphone confirming the guest's entry — without having moved from home.

Step 6 — Mid-stay message (day 2 or 3)

An automatic courtesy message is sent on the second or third day of the stay: "Hello [First name], we hope you're enjoying [City]! Feel free to reach out if you have any question at all or if something isn't working as expected." This message catches potential problems before they turn into negative reviews.

Step 7 — Departure instructions and code invalidation (evening before checkout, 8pm)

An automatic message reminds the guest of the checkout time, departure instructions (rubbish, windows, heating), and thanks them. At the exact checkout time, the Nuki lock automatically invalidates the code — it stops working. The cleaning team receives a notification that the property is now free.

Step 8 — Post-stay review request (2–4 hours after checkout)

2 to 4 hours after checkout is detected (based on the lock's access history or the configured time), an automatic message is sent to the guest asking them to leave a review. This timing is optimal: the guest has just got home, their stay is still fresh in their memory, and they are in a relaxed frame of mind.

Option 1: the secure key box (KeyBox) — simple and reliable to start with

The most accessible and least expensive solution to get started. The guest receives a PIN code by message before arrival. The box is firmly fixed next to the door or on a railing. Price: 30 € – 89 € depending on the model (one-off purchase, no subscription).

• Advantages: simple, mechanically reliable, no subscription, no technology dependency, works even during a power cut or internet outage.
• Disadvantages: the code has to be changed manually between each stay, no access traceability, less secure than a smart lock with automatic temporary codes.

Option 2: the connected Smart Lock — the professional standard

Nuki Smart Lock 3.0 Pro is the European leader in smart locks for rental apartments and is extremely popular in Belgium. The lock fits in 5 to 10 minutes over your existing European cylinder lock, with no drilling or modification of your door. You manage all access from a mobile app. Nuki Smart Lock 3.0 Pro price: ~229 € + bridge (~30 €) + ~3 €/month for advanced integrations.

Option 3: the connected intercom for shared buildings

For apartments in shared buildings with a communal front door, solutions such as Akuvox or DoorBird let you open the front door from a mobile app from anywhere in the world. Some models include an HD camera with night vision.

Security FAQ: the 6 questions our owners ask most

Q1: Can a guest copy or bypass the code?

No. The codes generated by smart locks (Nuki, Tedee, Igloohome) are temporary and encrypted — they expire automatically at checkout time. An expired code no longer opens the door, even if the guest memorised it. This is more secure than a physical key, which can be copied without your knowledge.

Q2: What happens during a power cut or internet outage?

Nuki and most smart locks run on battery (6 to 12 months' battery life) and work independently of your internet connection thanks to direct Bluetooth (range ~5m). In the event of total failure, a physical spare key can always open the cylinder. The Nuki app alerts you when the battery drops below 20% — plenty of time to plan a replacement.

Q3: What if a guest gets locked out?

You can unlock the door remotely from the app within seconds, from anywhere in the world — even from the other side of the world at 3am. This feature alone justifies the investment for many owners. An emergency number (yours or your concierge company's) should always be given to the guest in the welcome guide.

Q4: Can the lock be forced or vandalised?

The physical cylinder underneath the smart lock is identical to your normal cylinder — resistance to forcing depends on the quality of your door cylinder. We always recommend a grade-3 security cylinder (European standard) if your door is accessible from the street. The smart lock housing is fixed on the inside of the property — inaccessible from the outside.

Q5: How do you handle a guest who refuses to leave on time?

The lock does not physically remove the guest — it simply invalidates their code at checkout time. If a guest stays beyond the agreed time, you are alerted (via the access log, the absence of a recorded exit) and can contact them directly. Airbnb's process allows for late-departure fees to be charged to the guest via Airbnb Resolution.

Q6: How do you handle a complete lock failure (dead battery, app bug)?

The backup protocol we always recommend:

1. Always have a spare key with a trusted neighbour or in a secure key box nearby (not visible from the listing)
2. The owner's or concierge company's phone number must be available 24/7 in the welcome guide
3. Nuki sends a critical battery alert 2 to 4 weeks before it fully runs out — never ignore these alerts

Guest communication guide for automatic check-in

Automatic messages must be warm, clear and precise. Here are the 3 complementary templates we use at Hexuvium:

Template 1 — First post-booking message

"Hello [First name] and welcome! I'm delighted to host you at my apartment in [Neighbourhood/City]. Here's what you need to know for your stay: you'll receive your personal access code 24h before your arrival. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions — I respond within the hour. See you very soon!"

Template 2 — Access message, day before (with the code)

"Hello [First name], tomorrow's the big day! Here's everything you need:
📍 Address: [Full address]
🔑 Your personal code: [CODE] (valid from [arrival date/time] to [checkout date/time])
🚪 How to get in: [Precise instructions — intercom, floor, which way to turn]
📶 WiFi: Network [NAME] — Password: [PW]
📖 Full guide: [Link]
Safe travels!"

Template 3 — Checkout message the evening before

"Hello [First name], we hope your stay went wonderfully! A quick reminder: checkout is tomorrow at [TIME]. Before you go: leave the towels in the shower tray, put the rubbish in the green bin in front of the building, close the windows and make sure the door is properly locked (it locks automatically). Your code will be automatically deactivated at [TIME]. Thank you for staying with us and safe travels!"

Automation ROI: calculation across 3 properties, 15h/month saved

Here is the real return-on-investment calculation for an owner managing 3 apartments in Brussels (Ixelles, Schaerbeek, Etterbeek):

Situation before automation

• In-person key handovers: ~20 turnovers/month × 3 properties = 60 turnovers/month
• Average time per handover (travel + waiting + handover): 45 minutes
• Total monthly time lost on key handovers: 45 hours/month
• Lost or forgotten key incidents: 2–3 per month (locksmith, stress, bad reviews)

Automation investment (3 Nuki-equipped properties)

• 3 × Nuki 3.0 Pro: 3 × 229 € = 687 €
• 3 × Nuki Bridge: 3 × 30 € = 90 €
• Smoobu subscription (channel manager + integrations): 45 €/month
• Hospitable subscription (automatic messages): 29 €/month
• Total first-year investment: ~1 700 € (hardware + subscriptions)

Quantified gains after automation

• Time reclaimed: 45 hours/month → valued at 30 €/h minimum = 1 350 €/month in saved value
• Elimination of key incidents (emergency locksmith: 150 € – 300 €/incident): savings of 400 € – 900 €/year
• Improved check-in score (from 4.6 to 5.0 on average): indirect impact on revenue (+8% estimated)
• Net ROI: reached in under 6 weeks on time value alone.

Full automated communication: from booking to review

Tools like Hospitable (formerly Smartbnb) let you automate the entire guest communication flow with remarkable contextual intelligence: automatic replies to common questions, personalised confirmation, pre-arrival message sequence, automatic access code delivery, mid-stay message, departure instructions and review request. All of this runs independently, 24/7, while you are entirely absent.

Automating checkout: just as important as check-in

A guest's departure directly determines the final review score and how quickly the property can be turned around for the next guest. For an effective automated checkout:

• Evening before: automatic message containing the full departure instructions
• On the day: the Nuki lock automatically locks at checkout time, the code becomes invalid. The cleaning team receives an automatic push notification via Turno.
• After departure: automatic sending of the review request 2 to 4 hours after checkout is detected.

Security and risk management with self-service access

• Risk of code copying: none, with smart locks — codes are temporary and invalid after checkout
• Power cut or internet outage: Nuki runs on battery and has a backup opening via the physical key
• Unauthorised access: the complete, time-stamped access history is your evidence in the event of an incident or dispute
• Guest locked out: you can unlock remotely from the app within seconds

Conclusion

Automatic check-in and check-out are no longer an optional competitive edge in 2026 — they are the professional standard expected by guests and serious concierge companies. They free up your time, improve the guest experience, and reduce operational incidents. At Hexuvium, we systematically deploy Nuki locks on every new property we take on for management — it's one of the first things we do before listing goes live.