Airbnb and holiday let locksmiths in Northland
Eliminate the admin and the worry of handing a key to every guest. Lockboxes, keypads and smart locks you can change from anywhere in the world.
Northland runs on visitors - the Bay of Islands in summer, the Tutukaka Coast, Doubtless Bay, and every bach in between. If you let a property out, the key is the part of it that causes the most hassle.
At Pinnacle Locksmiths we have a range of solutions for guest access to your property: lockbox options, mechanical digital options, and electronic locks where you can change the code remotely from anywhere in the world.
We work right across the Northland region and can help if a lock has failed, a guest has locked themselves out, or you need particular parts of the property closed off from guest access.
The three ways to do it
1. A lockbox
The cheapest way in. A small combination box holds the key; you give the guest the code. Simple, no power, no batteries, no wiring - and worth doing properly, because a cheap lockbox on a public fence is not security, it is decoration. We will fit a decent one somewhere sensible.
2. A mechanical keypad
No key at all, no batteries either. The guest is given a code and punches it in. Very reliable in a coastal environment, and there is nothing to go flat. The trade-off is that changing the code means somebody physically doing it, so it suits longer stays and permanent codes better than a fast changeover.
3. An electronic or smart lock
The one most hosts end up wanting. Each guest gets their own code, which you set - and expire - remotely. No handover, no key to lose, no driving out to a property in Ngunguru because somebody's flight landed at midnight. If you manage several properties, this is the option that gives you your evenings back.
More on the hardware itself on our digital and smart locks page.
Things hosts learn the hard way
- Salt air eats hardware. A lock that would last a decade in Hamilton has a much shorter life at Sandy Bay or Coopers Beach. Specify for the location, not the catalogue photo.
- Batteries go flat at changeover, never on a Tuesday. Choose a lock with a proper low-battery warning and an emergency override, and change them on a schedule rather than on a surprise.
- Not every door suits every lock. Aluminium joinery, narrow stiles and older timber doors all limit what can physically be fitted. We will tell you what will work on your actual doors before you buy anything.
- Lock off what guests do not need. An owner's cupboard, a garage, a shed or a store room can be keyed separately so that the guest code opens the house and nothing else.
- Do not forget the windows. Holiday properties sit empty for long stretches, and window latches and stays are the most commonly neglected part of a bach.
Airbnb and holiday let services
- Guest lockouts
- Rekeying between owners or managers
- Lock replacement
- Keyless entry options
- Electronic and smart locks
- Mechanical digital locks
- Lockbox supply and installation
- Remote code management setup
- Deadbolt installation
- Window security
- Owner-only lockable storage
- Servicing and battery replacement
- Salt-resistant hardware for coastal properties
Related
Talk to a locksmith
Tell us what you need and you will know what it costs before we start.
No more key handovers
Codes you set and expire yourself. No meeting a guest off a delayed flight.
Right across the north
Paihia, Russell, Tutukaka, Doubtless Bay, Ahipara - the places the guests actually go.
Get in touch
Tell us what has happened
We will tell you what the job needs and what it costs before anyone sets out.
Mobile across all of Northland, from Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Paihia and Russell down to Whangarei, Ruakaka, One Tree Point and Marsden Cove - see all 55 areas we cover.
Questions
Common questions
Can I change the code without being there?
With a smart lock, yes - that is the whole point of it. You set and expire a code for each booking from your phone, wherever you are. A mechanical keypad needs somebody on site to change it, which is why we ask how often you turn the property over before recommending one.
What happens if the batteries die with a guest inside?
Getting out from the inside is never battery-dependent - that would be unsafe and no reputable lock works that way. Getting in is the risk, which is why we fit locks with a low-battery warning and an emergency override, and why we recommend replacing batteries on a schedule.
Will a smart lock survive at the beach?
Some will, some will not. Salt air is brutal on cheap hardware. Tell us where the property is and how exposed the door is, and we will specify accordingly rather than fitting whatever is in the box.
Can I keep the owner's cupboard locked?
Yes, and most hosts should. We can key a store room, garage or cupboard separately so your guest access opens the house and nothing else.
A guest has locked themselves out. Can you help?
Yes. Ring 0800 243 503 and tell us where the property is. If it happens more than once, it is worth talking to us about a keypad or smart lock, so the next one is solved with a code rather than a call-out.
Locked out, or want it sorted properly?
One call reaches a mobile locksmith in Northland who will tell you what it costs before any work starts.
0800 243 503