Can i ask those who have keylock box checkin if they change the number every guest. Also do you supply a first aid box. A guest complained i dont supply one.
Any sort of lockbox or smart Lock needs unique codes for each guest, and unique code every time they show up. Once a guest leaves, they should not be able to return, give the number to a friend, or in anyway impact the safety of the next guest by having compromised their security by having a ācommonā entry ability. And FYI, nothing prevents a guest from taking the key you give them and making copies, for whatever reasons they have. Having the master key in a lock, box does not prevent anyone from using a copy of it to go into your front door at any time. When I am a guest and I see lockbox access, that Airbnb is immediately discarded as a possibility.
A first aid kit is an inexpensive way to solve this complaint. Guests canāt be expected to carry in full kits of first aid, etc. anymore than theyāre expected to bring in an extra frying pan. We always look at guest complaints and suggestions as opportunities to make our Airbnb better. Not having a first aid kit there or fire extinguishers where needed also sends a message to your guests that their safety and health is not important.
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I agree with @Rolf. Always, always change the lockbox or keypad code after every guest. I have also rattled on here before at length about why hosts should not use the last four digits of the guestās phone number.
There are many random number generators on the internet that can create new numbers for you within seconds.
Also, a first aid kit should also be supplied and after every guest, I check the first aid kit to see if any items need replenishing.
It could be that for many hosts, the local authority wonāt approve the business license if the accommodation doesnāt have fire extinguishers, smoke alarms and so on that are fully up to date.
Likewise the STR insurers usually insist on these things.
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Our property is remote (30 minutes to a drug or grocery store) and I do provide a first aid kit with band aids, larger bandages, alcohol, iodine, tape and ace bandage as well as aspirin, Advil and allergen meds. For the meds, small packets to get them thru a crisis, not enough to cause harm to a child in case of accidental use,
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First aid box is an easy inexpensive amenity, (Temu). We have 3 units all have them and we do not change our codes. But we are in Montana where crooks are likely out there but not staying with us. We live next door which is extra security.
Is TEMU still shipping to the USA since Mr. Trump did away with tariff exemption for under $800
Please can you let us know how you justify this?
Living next door and being in Montana is hardly a good reason.
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@Joahaz - please let us know why you believe that keeping the same code is okay. Many of our readers here are new or potential hosts and itās great for them to get a wide picture of hosting.
Many of us (most?) change the code after every guest but we want to present a balanced picture here.
So please let us have your viewpoint.
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Nothing to stop a dishonest guest taking a key copy. Lockbox access is preferable to many guests as they can gain access when they like and less chance of lost keys. Also a trusted tradesman can gain access between guests.
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That statement doesnāt make sense to me. You canāt lose keys with a smart lock, a dishonest person canāt make a copy your smart lock, and you can give a tradesmen access to your place with specific time of entry, etc.
Iāve used a basic keypad on both apartments for quite a few years now. There are no keys, therefore, for a guest (or tradesperson) to copy and as the code changes with every guest, no unwanted or unexpected entry into the apartments.
Regarding trade personnel, my handyman is simply given a code when he texts me to say heās on his way. It takes seconds.
Handyman: Hi J, Iāll be there at 10.
Me: Great. Code 7575
Even though tradespeople might be absolutely 100% honest, if a host keeps the same code, or has specific codes for specific people (one for the handyman, one for the cleaner, one for the plumber etc.) then these codes can become known to others accidentally. Better safe than sorry, especially when changing codes takes only seconds.
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This discussion is moot as the security of any way you/we offer can be compromised by the sheer indifference/negligence/forgetfulness/stupidity of the guests.
No matter whether it is a physical key or a digital code - as long as you donāt stand next to the entrance door or watch the door remotely via camera non-stop itās up to the guests whether anyone unauthorised can enter.
They can lose the key, the can make a copy, hand it to someone else - same goes for the digital version, perhaps even worse. Once the guest code has been sent it can be quickly shared online to dozens of people invading an accommodation. How would you prevent that? Limiting how many times a guest can enter the code? Guest devices can be compromised/hacked/sniffed and the code ends up in someone elseās hands.
Every system has its shortcomings and is only as secure as the weakest link. Having seen how āresponsibleā some of our guests behave Iām thankful to be living on the same property and being able to look out of my office window to see directly the two entrance doors of our studios. Iād be an emotional wreck hosting a remote accommodation. 
Of course they can - but itās easier for a bad guy to simply break a window or force a lock. One day, Iām sure Iāll come across something that is 100% secure but Iām not holding my breath.
Which is why so many of us earnestly recommend that codes are changed after every guest and why obvious codes (such as the phone numberās last four) should be avoided. When a host has guests who have an average stay of three or so days, it makes the spreading of the code even less effective.
I could never, ever host remotely. Iād never sleep.
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Same here. Every time I read about guests sneaking in extra guests or pets, throwing a party, disturbing the neighbors, driving all over the lawn, or not bothering to communicate during the stay, then lodging complaints and refund requests after the fact, I think about how happy I am with my little homeshare situation.
In 8 years of hosting, I have never had to contact Airbnb about a bad guest, nor had a retaliation review for having had to talk to a guest about their bad behavior.
As far as entry goes, I have always used physical keys, with no lockbox and no self-check-in. Most of my guests fly in from out of the country, or are from far away within the country. Iāve never had any qualms about guests copying the keys, as they donāt live anywhere near here to come back for the purpose of thievery, nor have I ever had any sketchy guests who would think to do something like that. There is also only one place to have keys cut in my town- itās a little kiosk in an out-of-the-way place that is only open a few hours a day and only locals would know about.
And the guest room door, which is an outside door, automatically locks when it is closed, so no worries about them going out and leaving the door unlocked. In fact, I mention that they can just hide the keys behind a plant on the balcony outside their door if they donāt want to have to carry them around when going to the beach, etc., as well as where I hide a set of emergency keys should they misplace the ones I give them.
And the closest itās ever come to a guest accidentally leaving with the keys was one guy who said, āOh, I almost forgot to give you back the keysā, as he reached into his pocket while I was driving him to the bus stop.
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There are no perfect answers to this question. I have a smartlock and I create a new code for every guest and delete the code as soon as their stay is over. I also have cameras on the outside of my property but I donāt monitor constantly. In 8 years of hosting Iāve never had a guest come back and attempt to re-enter my home but Iām sure it happens. I did had guests sneak in extra guests once and very early on I had a horrible problem with guests throwing a party. That experience has hardened me and prepared me to accept that the worst is always possible. On the other hand I have had hundreds of guests and all except maybe 2 or 3 have been great. I would suggest getting a smartlock that you can change the code on remotely, they arenāt that exspensive. On the other hand, if someone wants to break into your home, theyāll just break a window. I met a guy once, 40 years ago, that bragged about breaking into homes and how breaking a window never alerted the neighbors. I also provide a first aid kit along with disposable razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, shaving cream, coffee, extra blankets, sheets, pillows, towels, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and tampons. Itās all part of being a good host.
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OT but I have to ask - whatās your nightly rate?
When we started out for $35 a night for a studio, a Superhost who stayed as our guest complained why we donāt provide a bottle of wine as a welcome gift, besides the coffee, tea, body wash, shampoo, towels, linen, extra blankets and pillows that we do offer. I mean we do try to make money here right?
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Very good point, we are in this to turn a profit. My nightly rate is closer to $200 a night but my mortgage is probably a lot higher too. I didnt mean to suggest that everyone should provide the little extras that I do, we all operate in different markets. The point I want to stress is that we need to be aware of the possible consequences and be willing to accept the risks. If we can mitigate those risks somewhat, we might sleep better at night, but a snartlock is really a bit of false security, because if someone wants to break in, they are going to. To me the most important and most valuable assest we have as hosts are our reviews. Putting on smartlocks wonāt improve your reviews and it probably wonāt give much added protection. I own a mobile home in the middle of no where in the desert that I rented for $30 a night so I can relate to different markets. It has a smart lock but honestly, itās for my convenience, slight piece of mind, and I like tech. On the flip side, I worry about batteries going dead and software glitches causing me not to be able to create new codes. A point that I havenāt expressed is guestās perceived sense of security. If they think someone has duplicated a key key and will walk in on them in the middle of the night (a very unfounded fear in my opinion but a real fear for some none the less), then maybe the cost of a smartlock is worth the exspense. The one I put on my mobile home was only about $125 bucks for a no name brand that works fine. The bottom line is the protection of your guestās comfort, safety and overall positive experience so as to safeguard YOUR reviews so that you can run a profitable business over the long haul.
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Iām sure you sleep better at night thinking this, but the guest who comes to your Airbnb is looking at handed out keys and thinking āIām less secure because this host is OK with keys floating aroundā.
Thereās another thread going on now with a host making fun of extra amenities such as extra towels, etc., as an expense that is unneeded - āextra blankets and towels are not necessary for the vast majority of guests and are money out of my pocketā. These hosts come here again and again complaining they got a low rating or review because the guests expectations did not match up to the reality presented to them by the Airbnb host. Itās pretty predictable, in fact, usually the second paragraph of their whine admits their failing as they try to bury it in an offhand manner.
Successful hosts do not do a spreadsheet based on how much the extra chocolates or blankets impact their bottom line. Successful hosts under promise and over deliver and also successful hosts do not think that going cheap on a Lock saves them money in the long run.
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Letās not forget that each of our accommodations are different from another host posting their experience. It should be taken with a grain of salt.
Our 60$ a night accommodation will not have the same amenities as a private island beach house. Maybe the administrators could add a little tag line for each member so we can add the type of accommodation we have so other members get a quick understanding āwhere theyāre coming fromā. I would find it helpful.
Thinking about some of our recent guests who couldnāt figure out how to lock the front door with the keyā¦ I wonder if they would have been able to figure out how to get in with a smartlock. Bear in mind that they watched me sticking the key into the lock and turning it in order to unlock the door and then pushing the handle but maybe in other parts of the world they do that differently. 
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Your smart lock would automatically lock. And getting in with a smart Lock only takes push buttons.