Connecting directly to Sharp tools from Guesty via API webhooks was not effective, I couldn’t get it to work correctly, I couldn’t get it to execute and trigger action. Connecting via Guesty to Zapier to Sharptools was better, but it was not doing what I needed the most, automation, I would see some triggers but the actions on Smartthings didn’t complete.
I’m 222 miles, a 3-hour drive from my own properties, and 2 others I helped manage were even further away. I needed automation. I did a lot of research before starting, and 2 months before I start it was determined RLA offered everything I needed, so I got RLA, everything Zwave, and Smartthings. Lock code creation, lock code deactivation (most important now in Florida with a new law passed that you have to limit access to your rental property when a renter is inside, AC automation, and lights automation.
To me all this is important. People set the AC to 65 and leave it running when they leave, sometimes there are several days or weeks before the next renter, so it is important when the guest checks out that the AC returns to normal, or to off, then back to normal when the next guest arrives. On the 3 units I own, my electric bill is up $180 more than last July, with less occupancy. I just kept forgetting to reset the AC and lights.
For some reason, guests and the cleaners leave all the lights on, all the time.
With RLA, when a guest code was active, the location was set to home. When the location was set to home the cleaner codes, handyman codes, etc were all disabled. Before the law was passed, I had a cleaner enter a unit, by mistake, while the guest was sleeping and it terrified them.
When the guest code was deactivated, the location was set to away, all other lock codes became active, A/C would return to the normal setting for 4 hours, giving the cleaners time to clean, then the A/C was off after 4 hours with no new guest arrival. All lights would turn off if the cleaners used their code to unlock the door and it would allow the lights to be on for 4 hours and then off until the next guest arrived.
All with a flip of the location, based on calendar events, so far there’s no solution.
One simple or not-so-simple change of location with automation allowed me to be in compliance with Florida Miya’s Law, save on energy cost, and convenience.