More and more homes are becoming “smart”. As defined on Smart Home USA, a smart home…

… is a residence that has appliances, lighting, heating, air conditioning, TVs, computers, entertainment audio & video systems, security, and camera systems that are capable of communicating with one another and can be controlled remotely by a time schedule, from any room in the home, as well as remotely from any location in the world by phone or internet.

Whilst these items may not fall into the category of 'home essentials', smart appliances are becoming increasingly standard expectations of young and discerning tech-savvy travelers. This category of travelers represents a large (and increasingly growing) share of Airbnb guests:

Smart appliances also provide benefits to the host. Owners of smart appliances are able to remotely monitor and manage key features of their home, including things such as...

• Air-Conditioning
• Access
• Electricity
• Heating
• Security
• Water

In doing so, there are often associated cost savings achieved by being energy efficient and reducing electricity and water usage (as well as reducing the risk of theft and damage).

Amazon Echo

• Capable of voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing weather, traffic and other real time information
• Can control several smart devices using itself also as a home automation hub
• Plays music from Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and more using just your voice

August Smart Lock

•  Secure and safe keyless access to your home with iOS and Android smartphones
• Control who has access to your home and manage how long their access lasts
• Replaces the interior portion of compatible deadbolts in about ten minutes, leaving exterior hardware unchanged

Magiclight Bluetooth Smart LED Light Bulb

• Control a single bulb, or group bulbs and control them together
• Schedule your bulb to turn on or off at specific time
• Color options help change and elevate moods and decorative possibilities

Nest Learning Thermostat

• An electronic, programmable, and self-learning Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat that optimizes heating and cooling of homes and businesses to conserve energy
• Learns people’s schedule, at which temperature they are used to and when
• Uses built-in sensors and phones’ locations to shift into energy saving mode when it realizes nobody is at home

Nest Cam

• When Nest Cam detects activity, it can send a phone alert or email with a photo of the event
• Built-in speaker and microphone allows you to talk and listen through the app
• Ability to get a special alert if a person seen and then saves 10 or 30 days of continuous video history in the cloud

Nest Cam Outdoor Security Camera

• When Nest Cam detects activity, it can send a phone alert or email with a photo of the event
• Weatherproof camera, cable and adapter, so you can leave it out in the rain
• Built-in speaker and microphone allows you to talk and listen through the app

Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

• Connect to Wi-Fi to receive an alert to your phone if the alarm goes off or the batteries run low
• Tells you “what” (smoke or CO) and “where” so you know what to do
• Ability to “hush” alarm from your phone

Samsung SmartThings Smart Home Hub

• Lets you easily control, monitor, and secure your home from anywhere in the world
• Connect all of your different smart locks, lights, outlets, thermostats, and more and let you control them from the free SmartThings app
• Receive notifications about what’s happening in and around your home and use your smartphone to remotely control your home’s security, energy usage, lighting, and more

Samsung SmartThings Water Leak Sensor

• Get an immediate alert on your smartphone at the first sign of excess water
• Trigger a light or siren to turn on to alert you if water is detected where it doesn’t belong
• Prevent leaks from turning into floods

Schlage BE365 Keypad Deadbolt

• Create and delete up to 19 access codes
• Installs in minutes with no wiring needed
• Low battery indicator and back-lit keypad

Scout Wireless Window and Door Sensor and Alarm

• Triggered when a window or door opens or closes
• Receive custom alerts, or enable custom responses based on activity
• Great for monitoring sensitive areas such as safes and liquor cabinets

Wemo Switch

• Gives you control of your lamps and small appliances whenever you want, wherever you choose, with tons of options for scheduling and automation
• Plug in the Wemo Switch, download the free app, and control your lights and appliances from anywhere in the world, right from your phone
• No hub or subscription required