Comparison
Lockbox, smart lock or digital access?
A lockbox hands the guest a physical key. A smart lock opens the apartment door with a code. Nestrio digital access sends a link with each reservation that opens both the building door and the apartment, and expires on its own after the stay. We compared all four options by what matters at 11 pm, when the guest is standing outside the building.
Updated 27 Oct 2026 · Tomáš Kodad, founder of Nestrio, managed short-term rental apartments in Prague for seven years
The four options side by side
| Criterion | Lockbox | Key cabinet or compartment | Smart lock (e.g. Nuki, TTLock) | Nestrio digital access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What the guest gets | A combination, and a key inside | A code on the cabinet display, and a key in the compartment | A code on a keypad or an invitation to the manufacturer's app | A unique link for the reservation, opened on their phone |
| Building front door | Another key or fob in the box | Depends on where the cabinet is. If it's elsewhere in the city, the guest collects the key first | The lock covers the apartment door. The building door is separate: a key, a fob, or another device if the building supports it | One link opens the front door and the apartment |
| Late arrival | Yes | Yes if the cabinet is in the building; at a shared location, subject to opening hours | Yes | Yes, any time after the reservation is paid |
| Lost or shared access | Replace the cylinder. Keys can be copied | Replace the cylinder | A code can be passed on and has to be changed after the stay | The link is valid only for the reservation and then expires on its own |
| Cleaning and maintenance | Shared combination or their own keys | Their own code for the compartment | Their own code or app access, which you set up yourself | Their own time window by role, created from the checkout |
| Who came in and when | Unknown | You know when the key was taken | A log in the lock's app, for the apartment door only | Every opening of the front door and the apartment in one log |
| Internet outage | No effect, it's mechanical | Needs a connection. New reservations don't sync during an outage | The lock usually still opens from the keypad; remote changes need internet | Designed so that a power or internet outage does not stop access |
| Guest register and foreign-guest reporting | No, handled separately | No, handled separately | No, handled separately | From the reservation into the guest register and the report to the Foreign Police |
| Noise, smoke, temperature | No | No | No | Yes, in the Core plan |
| What gets installed | A box on a wall or railing | A cabinet with power and internet, or a rented compartment elsewhere in the city | A lock on the apartment door, often also a bridge and a keypad | A lock on the apartment door (yours or rented) and a module on the intercom. Nothing is mounted outside |
| Cost | One-off purchase | Renting a box or compartment in Prague: CZK 690/month on offer, normally CZK 950 (selfcheckin.cz), CZK 790/month (KeyGuru), excl. VAT | One-off for the lock and accessories | Monthly per unit depending on the plan; the lock can be included. Pricing |
Competitor prices from their public websites, checked on 20 Oct 2026. Sources are at the bottom of the page.
What suits your operation?
When a lockbox is enough
You rent only occasionally and don't want to install anything. Or you need something for a few weeks while you decide. A lockbox is the cheapest start. Keep in mind the key can be copied and you won't know who has it.
When a smart lock is enough
The apartment has its own street entrance, or the building door is already solved another way. You set up access for guests and cleaners yourself and handle foreign-guest reporting and the guest register with a different tool.
When digital access pays off
You have one apartment or several, and you want to come across as professional. You don't want the risk of lost or copied keys. Guests arrive late, cleaning staff rotate and you want to know who was in the apartment and when. And you'd rather hear about a party at 10:40 pm than from a neighbour the next morning.
Why have some cities banned lockboxes?
A key in a lockbox on a railing is visible to anyone walking down the street, and the city has no idea who is staying in the building. Florence therefore banned lockboxes for tourist rentals from 25 February 2025. The Valencia region of Spain banned handing over keys through boxes on public streets in 2024. Digital access is valid only for the stay and expires on its own. It is safer for guests, for you and for the neighbours.
What hosts ask
What is the difference between a lockbox and digital access?
A lockbox hands over a physical key that can be lost or copied, and you don't know who has it. Nestrio digital access sends the guest a unique link for each reservation. It opens the building door and the apartment from their phone and stops working on its own when the stay ends.
Is a smart lock like Nuki or Tedee enough for Airbnb?
For the apartment door, yes. A smart lock does not cover the building entrance, foreign-guest reporting or the guest register, and access for guests and cleaners is usually set up by hand or through another system. Nestrio can work with your own lock (Tedee, for example) in the Connect plan and adds the building door and access created from reservations.
Can the guest open the building's front door with digital access?
Yes. Nestrio connects to the existing intercom, so nothing changes or gets mounted on the outside of the entrance. The only condition is that the door can be opened from the apartment.
How much does a lockbox cost in Prague compared with digital access?
According to their public price lists, renting a box or compartment in Prague costs CZK 690 to 950 a month at selfcheckin.cz and CZK 790 a month at KeyGuru, excluding VAT (checked on 20 Oct 2026). Your own mechanical lockbox is a one-off purchase. Nestrio is billed monthly per unit; current prices are on the pricing page.
What if the owners' association doesn't want a lockbox on the facade?
A lockbox on the facade or railing sits on the common parts of the building, so the building owner decides, which in an apartment building is usually the owners' association. Nestrio mounts nothing at the entrance: it connects to the existing intercom, so there is nothing outside to approve.
Where the figures and facts come from
- selfcheckin.cz — lockbox rental prices (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- KeyGuru — key handover for short-term rentals, Prague storage prices (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- The Local Italy, 26 Jun 2025 — Florence banned lockboxes from 25 Feb 2025
- Valencia Plaza, 5 Sep 2024 — new decree on tourist apartments in the Valencia region
More on how Nestrio handles guest arrivals is on the short-term rentals page, and for larger portfolios on the property managers page.
We'll show you on your own apartment
In the demo we walk through a guest arrival, the building door and the sensors with a real scenario from your apartment.
Data collection and access logging are fully GDPR compliant.