Solutions/Airbnb apartments
Manage many Airbnb apartments remotely, with guest self check-in
TingStay helps owners and operators of Airbnb apartments offer self check-in: Airbnb and Booking.com calendars sync into one place, a door code is generated for each booking, and cleaning is scheduled right between two stays.
What takes the most time
- Guests arriving at midnight
- There is nobody to meet them, and instructions sent by message are easy to miss.
- Back-to-back stays
- The cleaning window is short, and any delay leaves the next guest waiting.
- Overstays and extra guests
- There is nobody in the building to notice; it only comes out when the next guest complains.
- Bad reviews over small issues
- A door left unlocked, a broken AC, a lock with a dead battery, and nobody knew in advance.
- Concerns from building management and residents
- Strangers come and go in the building every day. Many buildings require registration and proof that guest access is under control.
- Foreign guests, documents, temporary residence
- With self check-in, it is hard to collect all the documents needed to register guests on time.
How TingStay handles it
- Add-on
Airbnb and Booking.com calendar sync
Stays from OTAs flow into one calendar, double bookings are blocked and units are assigned automatically.
Part of the Channel connections add-on.
Guest self check-in
The door code and instructions are sent before arrival, and the code expires at check-out.
Sent automatically via Zalo OA with the Channel connections add-on.
Cleaning between stays
A cleaning task is created as soon as the guest leaves, due before the next guest arrives.
Overstay alerts
If someone is still in the unit after check-out time, the remote front desk is alerted.
Know about issues before guests do
A door left open, a power cut and a low lock battery all trigger alerts.
- See plans
Suggested plan
Start plan for a few dozen units you run yourself; Pro plan once you have cleaning and technical staff and need profit and loss per unit.
Also in TingStay
- Inspection at check-out, record damage and missing items
- Holiday and Tet rates per unit
- Extra services priced by area
- Guest registration, temporary residence for foreignersAdd-on
- Guest app: unlock, instructions, report incidentsAdd-on
- Channel manager connectionAdd-on
In practice
Two back-to-back stays in one day
The hardest day for an Airbnb apartment: the previous guest checks out at noon, the new guest arrives in the afternoon, and nobody is on duty in the building.
The night before
New booking from Airbnb
The calendar syncs to TingStay and the unit is assigned without clashing with a Booking.com guest.
12:00
Check-out time
The previous stay is due to end. Its door code stops working after check-out time.
12:20
Overstay alert
Someone is still in the unit after check-out time. The remote front desk gets the alert and messages the guest.
12:45
Previous guest leaves
Door closed, nobody inside. A cleaning task is created right away, due before the new guest arrives.
14:15
Cleaned, with photo proof
The cleaner marks the task done and takes photos. The unit switches to "Ready".
14:30
Unit prepared for arrival
The AC starts cooling before check-in.
From 15:00
New guest checks in
The door code and instructions were sent in advance. Even a guest arriving at midnight needs nobody to meet them.
Suggested setup
What each Airbnb apartment needs
Airbnb apartments have to run reliably with nobody on duty. The Operations Kit plus a presence sensor tells you when guests have left and raises overstay alerts.
Hardware, one-time payment
Operations Kit
30.3 - 46.6 million VND per unit
Includes installation, excludes VAT. The final price depends on project size.
Also needed
- Presence sensor 4,745,000 VNDTo know whether anyone is still in the unit.
- TTLock door lockKeep the existing lock if it is a TTLock.
Software, paid monthly or yearly
Start plan
149,000 VND per unit per month
Paid yearly: 1,250,000 VND per unit per year.
Start plan for a few dozen units you run yourself; Pro plan once you have cleaning and technical staff and need profit and loss per unit.
Getting started
From site survey to launch, measured in days
Site survey
An engineer visits the unit and checks the existing electrical panel, air conditioners, door lock and power and water meters.
1 day
Design and quotation
Choose the kit, the panel layout and the positions of keypads and sensors. The quotation is based on the actual number of units.
2 hours
Installation
Mount the control enclosure, run the bus cable and wire the devices in step with the interior fit-out. Once the infrastructure is ready, one installation crew finishes each unit in no more than 1 day.
Up to 1 day per unit
Configuration and testing
Register the unit on TingStay, load the scenes, test every device and the loss-of-internet case.
Same day as installation
Handover and training
Train the operations team on the Console and the apps, and hand over the device documentation.
Half a day
Frequently asked questions
How do I manage many Airbnb apartments without on-site staff?
You need three things: one place for all bookings, door locks that issue codes automatically per stay, and a way to know the real status of each unit (has the guest left, is the door closed). TingStay does all three, plus cleaning assignment and alerts to your phone.
Does TingStay replace a channel manager?
No. TingStay pulls calendars from OTAs to operate the units; pricing and distribution across channels are still handled by the channel manager. OTA calendar sync and the channel manager connection are part of the Channel connections add-on.
Can guests still get in if the internet goes down?
Yes. The PIN is stored on the lock and the scenes in the unit run on the TingEdge; data is resent once the connection is back.
Do the sensors record video of guests?
No. The presence sensor only detects whether someone is in the unit. The system has no cameras and records no audio inside the unit.
Does TingStay handle guest registration?
Yes, with the Guest registration add-on: guest details, documents and the actual check-in time come straight from the stay. Without this add-on, the front desk keeps registering guests as it does today, and TingStay stores the documents for later reference.
Can I keep the door lock I already have?
Yes, if it is a TTLock lock. In the first phase TingStay integrates with TTLock; for other brands you need to replace the lock or wait for TingStay to add the integration.
Do guests have to install an app?
No, it is optional. Guests receive the door code and instructions by message and open the door with the keypad on the lock. With the Guest app add-on, guests unlock the door, control the room and report incidents on their phone.
Can apartments in residential buildings be rented out on Airbnb?
It depends on the locality and the building rules. Ho Chi Minh City allows it with conditions from 25 April 2026 (Decision 19/2026/QĐ-UBND): registration as a tourist accommodation establishment, guest registration, and compliance with the building rules. Elsewhere, ask the building management board before taking guests.
How do foreign guests declare temporary residence?
The Guest registration add-on supports both Vietnamese and foreign guests: passport details and the check-in time come from the stay. How the declaration is submitted depends on the infrastructure and regulations of each locality.
How much does each Airbnb apartment cost?
Hardware in the suggested setup (Operations Kit) costs about 30.3 - 46.6 million VND per unit, paid once, including installation, excluding VAT, the door lock and the power and water meters. The Start plan software is 149,000 VND per unit per month, or 1,250,000 VND per unit per year when paid yearly.
Related guides
Start with a few units, scale once you see the results
NEXT HOME engineers survey your units, propose the hardware setup and install TingStay for your first cluster.