I suspect people mainly use the lockboxes only because other people do
I suspect it’s a cheap and easy hack, I don’t work with locks but I assume they don’t need to 𝙿̝̃𝙰̤͙̑̇𝚈̲̠̤̪͒̉͐͑ ̲͇̳̺͈̽͌̇̓̄ ̟̝̹̞̩͔̼̀͂̓͑͒ͦ̓𝙼̞̹̩͎̣̥͇̟̒̊͂̽̇͗̓͌͊ͅ𝙾͚̲͎̰͔̖̼̐͑͒̀́ͩ̚𝙽͇͍̖̖̙ͮ̓̎ͤ̿𝙴̪̺̜̱̅̋̆̊𝚈̯̘̇̚ to install a whole new locking system on the door itself, just change the lock cylinder and put the new key in a cheap box.
null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 days ago
We have an apartment in a holiday village. We couldn’t rent to long term tenants if we wanted to.
We have a fancy electronic lock. The codes update automatically to the last 4 digits of a guest’s phone number.
It was expensive. $1,200 or something.
You need to change the batteries. Not every week, but maybe once every few months.
Guest’s struggle with it. We literally send a diagram with step by step instructions for how to operate it but guests still struggle.
Occasionally guests call us because they can’t find the key-safe. “I’m looking at a key safe but I think it’s for the neighbours apartment and it doesn’t look like your diagram and my code doesn’t work”.
We had another version of the same thing previously which was terrible. The number pad kept dropping the connection to the lock and it was just a shit show.
On balance, I do like this fandangle new lock and I do like that we don’t have to change the codes and that guests only have access for the duration of their stay. There is definitely a reduction in usability, although we’ve been able to mitigate that. I don’t regret getting it but there’s definitely something to be said for these cheap usable boxes.