There are certain things you don’t think much about when you first start managing a short-term rental.
The thermostat is one of them.
Then a guest checks out with the air conditioning set extremely low. Or the heat is still running in an empty property. Or you’re hours away wondering whether the HVAC system is actually working.
That’s when being able to control the thermostat remotely becomes a lot more useful.
But here’s something I’ve learned from managing my own rentals:
You don’t necessarily need an expensive smart thermostat to solve the problem.
I Use Nest at Home — But Not in My Rentals
I have Nest thermostats in my personal home, and I like them a lot.
I can control the temperature remotely, make adjustments from my phone, create schedules and use the more advanced smart features that make Nest appealing.
In a home where the same people live every day, some of those smarter features make sense. A learning thermostat can adapt to the patterns of the people living in the house and help manage heating and cooling around those routines.
But here’s the interesting part:
I don’t use Nest thermostats in my short-term rentals.
Instead, I use the Honeywell Home RTH6580WF Wi-Fi 7-Day Programmable Thermostat.
They aren’t nearly as sophisticated as my Nest thermostats.
For a rental property, I’m not sure they need to be.
What I Actually Use in My Rentals
My requirements for a thermostat in a short-term rental are pretty simple.
- I want to see and control the temperature remotely.
- I want to be able to create heating and cooling schedules.
- I want to make adjustments without being at the property.
- I want guests to be able to operate the thermostat easily.
- I want something reliable.
- And I don’t want to spend more than necessary to get those capabilities.
The Honeywell RTH6580WF does those things very well for me.
I’ve been able to find these thermostats for roughly $40–$50, although pricing varies by seller and over time.
For what I need them to do in my rentals, they’ve worked great.
I also installed the Honeywell thermostats myself.
In my properties, the existing wiring was compatible, so I found the installation pretty straightforward. Once the thermostat was installed, I connected it to Wi-Fi, configured the remote access and was ready to go.
That made an already inexpensive upgrade even more attractive because, in my case, there wasn’t an additional installation expense.
My Pick for Most STR Hosts
Honeywell Home RTH6580WF Wi-Fi 7-Day Programmable Thermostat
This is the thermostat I actually use in my own short-term rental properties — and I installed them myself.
It gives me remote temperature control and scheduling without paying for smart-home features I don’t really need in a rental. With compatible existing wiring, I found the installation and Wi-Fi setup straightforward.
Check Current Price on Amazon →
As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.
Why I Don’t Think My Rentals Need a Learning Thermostat
This is where I think the difference between a primary residence and a short-term rental becomes important.
The Honeywell thermostat I use isn’t a learning thermostat.
It isn’t trying to figure out when the occupants are normally home or automatically build a heating and cooling routine around the temperature changes they make throughout the day.
That’s one of the things I like about the Nest thermostats in my home.
But think about how a short-term rental actually operates.
One family might stay for three nights and prefer the house at 68 degrees.
The next guests might prefer 74.
They arrive at different times. They leave at different times. They have completely different daily routines.
Then they’re gone and someone entirely different moves in.
I’m not convinced there’s much value in paying extra for a thermostat to learn behavior that’s constantly changing.
For my rentals, I’d rather have a simpler and less expensive thermostat that gives me the remote controls I actually need.
The Most Important Feature: Remote Control
If I had to choose one feature that makes a Wi-Fi thermostat worthwhile for a short-term rental, this would be it.
I want to be able to open an app and see what’s happening at the property.
If a guest checks out and leaves the air conditioning running much colder than necessary, I can adjust it.
If the rental is going to sit empty for several days, I can change the temperature without asking a cleaner or someone else to do it.
And before the next guest arrives, I can bring the property back to a comfortable temperature.
All of that can happen without me physically being at the rental.
That’s the kind of automation I value most: technology that eliminates a trip to the property.
Scheduling Is More Useful Than “Learning” for Me
The RTH6580WF is a 7-day programmable thermostat.
For my purposes, that’s more useful than having the thermostat try to learn the behavior of short-term guests.
I can establish the schedule I want and still make changes remotely whenever necessary.
That gives me control over how the HVAC system operates without making the guest experience complicated.
Don’t Make the Thermostat Difficult for Guests
This is another reason I like a relatively traditional thermostat in a rental.
Guests shouldn’t need an app, an account or an instruction manual just to make the property warmer or cooler.
The thermostat on the wall should be easy to understand.
Walk up. Change the temperature. Done.
The Wi-Fi connection and remote controls are primarily there for me as the host.
The guest experience stays simple.
When I Would Spend More for a Nest
I don’t want this to sound like I’m against Nest thermostats.
I’m not.
I own them myself and like them.
Nest gives me a more sophisticated smart-home experience in my personal home. I can control my thermostats remotely, create schedules and take advantage of features designed to make the thermostat more intelligent about how the house is actually being used.
Those capabilities make much more sense to me in a primary residence where the same people are living every day.
If I were outfitting my home again, Nest would absolutely be on my list.
I could also see spending more on Nest in a vacation property that I personally use frequently, particularly if I wanted it integrated into a larger smart-home setup.
But for a dedicated short-term rental, I ask a different question:
Am I paying for features that actually make the rental easier to operate?
For me, the Honeywell gives me the functions I really need at a much lower cost.
Honeywell vs. Nest for a Short-Term Rental
| Feature | Honeywell RTH6580WF | Nest |
|---|---|---|
| Remote temperature control | Yes | Yes |
| Phone/app access | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| 7-day programming | Yes | Model/features vary |
| Learning behavior | No | Available on learning models |
| Guest-friendly wall controls | Yes | Yes |
| Relative cost | Lower | Higher |
| Where I use it | My rental properties | My personal home |
| My preferred use | Dedicated STR | Primary home / premium smart-home setup |
Can You Install the Honeywell RTH6580WF Yourself?
I did.
I installed the RTH6580WF thermostats in my rental properties myself.
With my existing HVAC wiring, I found the process pretty straightforward.
But that doesn’t mean every installation will be the same.
Your HVAC system and existing thermostat wiring matter. The RTH6580WF requires compatible equipment and appropriate wiring, including a C-wire for power.
Heat pumps, auxiliary heat, multi-stage systems and other HVAC configurations can affect compatibility.
So before buying one, check your existing wiring and Honeywell Home’s compatibility requirements.
If everything matches and you’re comfortable replacing a thermostat, this may be a very manageable DIY project.
If the wiring doesn’t match what Honeywell specifies — or you’re simply not comfortable working with HVAC controls — have an HVAC professional install it.
In my case, DIY installation made an already inexpensive thermostat an even better value.
What About Temperature Limits?
Temperature limits can be useful in a short-term rental because they can prevent extreme heating or cooling settings.
But this is one area where you need to look carefully at the exact thermostat you’re considering.
I wouldn’t buy the RTH6580WF specifically because you’re looking for sophisticated guest temperature-locking controls.
If hard minimum and maximum guest temperature limits are important to your operation, look specifically for a thermostat that supports that capability and verify it for the exact model before buying.
For my rentals, remote visibility and the ability to correct the temperature myself have been more important.
How I Think About Technology in My Rentals
I use the same basic test for a lot of technology I put into my short-term rentals:
Does this solve an actual problem?
I don’t need the rental to be the smartest house on the block.
I need it to be easy for guests and easy for me to manage remotely.
That’s why I use smart locks.
It’s why I want remote access to the property’s Wi-Fi.
It’s why I automate routine guest messages.
And it’s why a relatively inexpensive Wi-Fi thermostat works perfectly well for my rentals.
The Bigger Goal: Manage the Property Without Being There
None of these tools is revolutionary by itself.
But together they change how much hands-on work is required to manage a short-term rental.
A smart lock eliminates key exchanges.
Remote Wi-Fi management helps troubleshoot internet problems.
A Wi-Fi thermostat lets me manage the HVAC system from anywhere.
Automated messages handle routine guest communication.
Put them together and you can solve a surprising number of property-management problems without ever driving to the property.
Want to Automate More of Your Airbnb?
I put together a practical guide showing how I use technology and automation to reduce the amount of hands-on work required to manage short-term rentals.
Read the Airbnb Automation Guide →
One More Thing: Track Whether Your Rental Is Actually Making Money
Technology can save time and sometimes reduce operating costs, but smart-home devices are still expenses.
I built my STR Income & Expense Tracker to help see what each property is actually producing after operating expenses and financing.
See the STR Income & Expense Tracker →
The Bottom Line
I like Nest thermostats. I own them and use them in my home.
But that doesn’t automatically make Nest the thermostat I’d buy for a short-term rental.
In my rentals, the Honeywell Home RTH6580WF gives me the functions I care about most: remote control, scheduling, straightforward guest operation and the ability to manage the HVAC system without being at the property.
I’ve purchased them for around $40–$50, and I installed them myself.
For me, that’s a pretty compelling value compared with spending considerably more for smart features that aren’t especially important in a property with different occupants every few days.
That’s why I use Nest at home and Honeywell in my rentals.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Best Thermostat for Airbnb? Why I Use Honeywell Instead of Nest in My Rentals
There are certain things you don’t think much about when you first start managing a short-term rental.
The thermostat is one of them.
Then a guest checks out with the air conditioning set extremely low. Or the heat is still running in an empty property. Or you’re hours away wondering whether the HVAC system is actually working.
That’s when being able to control the thermostat remotely becomes a lot more useful.
But here’s something I’ve learned from managing my own rentals:
You don’t necessarily need an expensive smart thermostat to solve the problem.
I Use Nest at Home — But Not in My Rentals
I have Nest thermostats in my personal home, and I like them a lot.
I can control the temperature remotely, make adjustments from my phone, create schedules and use the more advanced smart features that make Nest appealing.
In a home where the same people live every day, some of those smarter features make sense. A learning thermostat can adapt to the patterns of the people living in the house and help manage heating and cooling around those routines.
But here’s the interesting part:
I don’t use Nest thermostats in my short-term rentals.
Instead, I use the Honeywell Home RTH6580WF Wi-Fi 7-Day Programmable Thermostat.
They aren’t nearly as sophisticated as my Nest thermostats.
For a rental property, I’m not sure they need to be.
What I Actually Use in My Rentals
My requirements for a thermostat in a short-term rental are pretty simple.
- I want to see and control the temperature remotely.
- I want to be able to create heating and cooling schedules.
- I want to make adjustments without being at the property.
- I want guests to be able to operate the thermostat easily.
- I want something reliable.
- And I don’t want to spend more than necessary to get those capabilities.
The Honeywell RTH6580WF does those things very well for me.
I’ve been able to find these thermostats for roughly $40–$50, although pricing varies by seller and over time.
For what I need them to do in my rentals, they’ve worked great.
I also installed the Honeywell thermostats myself.
In my properties, the existing wiring was compatible, so I found the installation pretty straightforward. Once the thermostat was installed, I connected it to Wi-Fi, configured the remote access and was ready to go.
That made an already inexpensive upgrade even more attractive because, in my case, there wasn’t an additional installation expense.
My Pick for Most STR Hosts
Honeywell Home RTH6580WF Wi-Fi 7-Day Programmable Thermostat
This is the thermostat I actually use in my own short-term rental properties — and I installed them myself.
It gives me remote temperature control and scheduling without paying for smart-home features I don’t really need in a rental. With compatible existing wiring, I found the installation and Wi-Fi setup straightforward.
Check Current Price on Amazon →
As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.
Why I Don’t Think My Rentals Need a Learning Thermostat
This is where I think the difference between a primary residence and a short-term rental becomes important.
The Honeywell thermostat I use isn’t a learning thermostat.
It isn’t trying to figure out when the occupants are normally home or automatically build a heating and cooling routine around the temperature changes they make throughout the day.
That’s one of the things I like about the Nest thermostats in my home.
But think about how a short-term rental actually operates.
One family might stay for three nights and prefer the house at 68 degrees.
The next guests might prefer 74.
They arrive at different times. They leave at different times. They have completely different daily routines.
Then they’re gone and someone entirely different moves in.
I’m not convinced there’s much value in paying extra for a thermostat to learn behavior that’s constantly changing.
For my rentals, I’d rather have a simpler and less expensive thermostat that gives me the remote controls I actually need.
The Most Important Feature: Remote Control
If I had to choose one feature that makes a Wi-Fi thermostat worthwhile for a short-term rental, this would be it.
I want to be able to open an app and see what’s happening at the property.
If a guest checks out and leaves the air conditioning running much colder than necessary, I can adjust it.
If the rental is going to sit empty for several days, I can change the temperature without asking a cleaner or someone else to do it.
And before the next guest arrives, I can bring the property back to a comfortable temperature.
All of that can happen without me physically being at the rental.
That’s the kind of automation I value most: technology that eliminates a trip to the property.
Scheduling Is More Useful Than “Learning” for Me
The RTH6580WF is a 7-day programmable thermostat.
For my purposes, that’s more useful than having the thermostat try to learn the behavior of short-term guests.
I can establish the schedule I want and still make changes remotely whenever necessary.
That gives me control over how the HVAC system operates without making the guest experience complicated.
Don’t Make the Thermostat Difficult for Guests
This is another reason I like a relatively traditional thermostat in a rental.
Guests shouldn’t need an app, an account or an instruction manual just to make the property warmer or cooler.
The thermostat on the wall should be easy to understand.
Walk up. Change the temperature. Done.
The Wi-Fi connection and remote controls are primarily there for me as the host.
The guest experience stays simple.
When I Would Spend More for a Nest
I don’t want this to sound like I’m against Nest thermostats.
I’m not.
I own them myself and like them.
Nest gives me a more sophisticated smart-home experience in my personal home. I can control my thermostats remotely, create schedules and take advantage of features designed to make the thermostat more intelligent about how the house is actually being used.
Those capabilities make much more sense to me in a primary residence where the same people are living every day.
If I were outfitting my home again, Nest would absolutely be on my list.
I could also see spending more on Nest in a vacation property that I personally use frequently, particularly if I wanted it integrated into a larger smart-home setup.
But for a dedicated short-term rental, I ask a different question:
Am I paying for features that actually make the rental easier to operate?
For me, the Honeywell gives me the functions I really need at a much lower cost.
Honeywell vs. Nest for a Short-Term Rental
| Feature | Honeywell RTH6580WF | Nest |
|---|---|---|
| Remote temperature control | Yes | Yes |
| Phone/app access | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| 7-day programming | Yes | Model/features vary |
| Learning behavior | No | Available on learning models |
| Guest-friendly wall controls | Yes | Yes |
| Relative cost | Lower | Higher |
| Where I use it | My rental properties | My personal home |
| My preferred use | Dedicated STR | Primary home / premium smart-home setup |
Can You Install the Honeywell RTH6580WF Yourself?
I did.
I installed the RTH6580WF thermostats in my rental properties myself.
With my existing HVAC wiring, I found the process pretty straightforward.
But that doesn’t mean every installation will be the same.
Your HVAC system and existing thermostat wiring matter. The RTH6580WF requires compatible equipment and appropriate wiring, including a C-wire for power.
Heat pumps, auxiliary heat, multi-stage systems and other HVAC configurations can affect compatibility.
So before buying one, check your existing wiring and Honeywell Home’s compatibility requirements.
If everything matches and you’re comfortable replacing a thermostat, this may be a very manageable DIY project.
If the wiring doesn’t match what Honeywell specifies — or you’re simply not comfortable working with HVAC controls — have an HVAC professional install it.
In my case, DIY installation made an already inexpensive thermostat an even better value.
What About Temperature Limits?
Temperature limits can be useful in a short-term rental because they can prevent extreme heating or cooling settings.
But this is one area where you need to look carefully at the exact thermostat you’re considering.
I wouldn’t buy the RTH6580WF specifically because you’re looking for sophisticated guest temperature-locking controls.
If hard minimum and maximum guest temperature limits are important to your operation, look specifically for a thermostat that supports that capability and verify it for the exact model before buying.
For my rentals, remote visibility and the ability to correct the temperature myself have been more important.
How I Think About Technology in My Rentals
I use the same basic test for a lot of technology I put into my short-term rentals:
Does this solve an actual problem?
I don’t need the rental to be the smartest house on the block.
I need it to be easy for guests and easy for me to manage remotely.
That’s why I use smart locks.
It’s why I want remote access to the property’s Wi-Fi.
It’s why I automate routine guest messages.
And it’s why a relatively inexpensive Wi-Fi thermostat works perfectly well for my rentals.
The Bigger Goal: Manage the Property Without Being There
None of these tools is revolutionary by itself.
But together they change how much hands-on work is required to manage a short-term rental.
A smart lock eliminates key exchanges.
Remote Wi-Fi management helps troubleshoot internet problems.
A Wi-Fi thermostat lets me manage the HVAC system from anywhere.
Automated messages handle routine guest communication.
Put them together and you can solve a surprising number of property-management problems without ever driving to the property.
Want to Automate More of Your Airbnb?
I put together a practical guide showing how I use technology and automation to reduce the amount of hands-on work required to manage short-term rentals.
One More Thing: Track Whether Your Rental Is Actually Making Money
Technology can save time and sometimes reduce operating costs, but smart-home devices are still expenses.
I built my STR Income & Expense Tracker to help see what each property is actually producing after operating expenses and financing.
See the STR Income & Expense Tracker →
The Bottom Line
I like Nest thermostats. I own them and use them in my home.
But that doesn’t automatically make Nest the thermostat I’d buy for a short-term rental.
In my rentals, the Honeywell Home RTH6580WF gives me the functions I care about most: remote control, scheduling, straightforward guest operation and the ability to manage the HVAC system without being at the property.
I’ve purchased them for around $40–$50, and I installed them myself.
For me, that’s a pretty compelling value compared with spending considerably more for smart features that aren’t especially important in a property with different occupants every few days.
That’s why I use Nest at home and Honeywell in my rentals.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.