Hi! I’ve got a single zone HVAC in a 3 floor townhouse. My Nest thermostat is on the second floor. I’m thinking about a way to rent out the first floor and close off the rest when we’re out of town and give guests control of the thermostat without requiring an app. Are there any smart thermostats that support a remote thermostat (i.e. not actually connected to the HVAC but just wirelessly telling the other thermostat what to do)? Or any other ways I could use smartthings to integrate a remote with feedback of some sort? Ideally would prefer to find a solution that isn’t Alexa/Google voice command, but that’s my backup solution. Thanks!
My first thought would just be SharpTools on an inexpensive WiFi tablet mounted on the wall to control your existing thermostat.
You could design a custom dashboard to limit access to only the thermostat, and use “kiosk mode” to limit the display to a single screen.
They have both a free version, which might be all you need, and a paid version if you did want more advanced features.
You can find lots of discussion threads in the forum: it’s a popular product:
FAQ: Sharptools , actiontiles or native ST app for your wall panel? (2020)
You could use just the thermostat controls, or add a few additional icons like maybe the porch lights or time and weather information. It’s up to you. 
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Going to throw this out there… what’s happens when both you and your renters want to set it to different temps? 
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That’s the other reason I like the SharpTools idea: you could have two versions of the dashboard, one for when you’re out of town and one for not. The one for when you’re out of town would include thermostat controls. The one for when you’re not might just have weather and time. You have to remember to switch it out, but I assume there’s a checklist walk-through of the space before and after each renter anyway.
Thanks @JDRoberts! I think this is my best bet - thanks for the quick response! I’ve got some homework now 
@jkp Unfortunately this is a problem no matter what since it’s a single zone system. If we ever decided to rent while we were there, we would likely forfeit control. If this became a more regular scenario, I’d probably look into those smart vents.
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Depending on rent you will make on the unit in your area… if it was me - I would add a second zone to your system if possible. of course, it is the most expensive option but choice is good. I believe, in the long run, renters will appreciate the ability to control it.
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BTW, at my house, it’s in the lease that I control the thermostat. (I’m the homeowner, and have two paying housemates.)
One of my housemates has the master suite, which has a large bedroom, Dressing room, bathroom, and an office, all behind the entrance door to the suite. That has its own Hvac zone, so there is a second thermostat in there, and he can set it as he likes. Again, it’s in the lease that the range has to be between 68°F and 72°F. I have automated settings that will pull it back into that range if it does get locally changed outside of it. (This was an issue a few years ago when the person who had the suite had a girlfriend who sometimes stayed over and never paid any attention to any house rules. Sigh. 
)
We have a very efficient heat pump HVAC system, solar energy, and an insulated foam roof, so keeping it in that range is cost-efficient for us all year round. 
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I guess I watched that renovation show for renters too much in the past. They always said add the amenities that renters would want and you can charge a higher rent. Do you intent to share a water heater, internet/cable, etc. Then imagine the worst if you do… can the hot water handle the needs for either unit when they want it, slow internet speed, what if renter wants the a/c on when it is cool outside etc?? What happens when the floor is isolated from the rest of the house… does that effect temps for either side? Is there some sound barrier between floors… can you handle when they play their music or tv louder than you would want? All those fun little details that can affect your sanilty in the long run. You never know. Not to forget… parking!
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I’ve had paying housemates for more than 10 years, ever since I got sick. Most things work out.
The one thing I learned early: separate Internet. Because otherwise inevitably one person is gaming when another one wants to reboot the router. 
Plus…malware. I don’t care what sites you visit as long as you’re not on my network. LOL!
There is a separate network for the Home Automation stuff and I control that one.
I don’t know if this is coincidental or not, but so far the person who gets the master suite has always gotten their own Internet account, and the person with the small bedroom typically just gets by with their mobile phone as a hotspot. But neither can impact whether the automatic door opener works or not, or any of the rest of the Home Automation. So we’re good.
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