Has anyone rented their HA automated house for the long-term to someone else, and has some experience in doing so?
The biggest challenge seems to be stability and security. Updating home-assistant automatically seems to be a no-go, as the configuration is not stable at all. At the same time, there might be security issues and such.
Then, there is the question of third-party system. I have the infamous Tado at home for instance. Recent developments showed the API changed and basically ceased to work. We can fix it with a new plugin, but that requires some remote maintenance that is not suitable and would not be doable if I wasn’t in the house, or got a remote access which leads to privacy questions.
Also, it’s customary here that the renter subscribes to their own Internet connection so they would need to set their wifi password somewhere.
The alarm system also seems too custom-made for an “outsider”. Zigbee network sometime fails, we have to change batteries too often for someone used to standard house. And entering a code on the screen wall panel seems too unfriendly, so I’d probably remove that too and tell future renters there is no alarm.
I’m actually hesitating to remove all of it but the lights, which are behind an enocean relay over mqtt, which is also the only thing that never broke, I think. And keep HA just for a wall panel and exposing them as emulated hue so the user’s mobile device and alexas etc can find them.
Similarly all location-based automation seems too touchy. Things like detecting when people leave the house rely on users having the app on their phone etc, it does not seem professional enough.
Hi
Well as it has always been for home-automation, products have to be carefully selected before buy/installation or you’ll always get an unstable and permanent need of maintenance ! and some technologies like Zigbee, Zwave have to be banned if you want something stable (some are not going to be happy to hear that but it’s reality, these systems are not reliable in the long time).
Vincèn
my experience as a landlord is that home automation doesn’t add anything to the rental value. it can actually discourage people if the home seems like a man cave.
Even smart lights or a ring camera can be off putting, nobody wants to put your camera on their phone. it has an icky factor especially for females renters.
a smart alarm system is also an off put, renters tend to want a call center from a big national provider, or a simple keypad deal with no external access. The landlord being in control of the alarm system creeps some of them out. they’ve seen too many movies.
usually I don’t even put in hue lights. Just motion sensors in the yard. simple, no app required.
if your renting out some big themed house with a gimmick to internet influencers then ignore every I’ve said
I sold my last house with the home automation system but I significantly “dumbed it down” prior to listing it for the reasons mentioned above here. I left the Insteon lighting which was 100% local and all switch/scene functions worked even if the controller or PLM died. The Venstar thermostat and the rainmachine sprinkler controller used internet for weather and App access but were 100% local API and functioned / ran on their own without it.
Yeah everything wired when possible (not always when it’s refit) or use standard and reliable technologies like Wifi (it implies also to have a Wifi network properly designed
Hi Tom, even though you are a long time user here, you are still struggling with this?!
Have you ever tried to solve this?
Of course, a system that is not stable is the worst that can happen but I can speak for many users here: HA can be VERY stable.
It’s a no-brainer that wired always works better (as in more reliabble) but I guess you can’t do anything with that advice right now.
Since I didn’t have any other option, I had to use wireless technologies.
I started with zigbee and I would do probably the same, that’s how good it’s working for me (43 devices, mains powered and battery)
Later on I added a few WiFi (ESP, tasmota) which are OK as well but I don’t want to put to much on my WiFi network so I keep that to a minimum.
On your question about renting out your house.
A wired, non-smart solution like KNX obviously doesn’t need as much attention as compared to HA and if you already have issues that you have to endure/solve yourself, putting other people in that situation can be tricky.
It also depends on how much your house is leaning on HA.
Even if you get your system to be much more stable, what about the level of automating: can this work for other people too?
It’s a difficult matter and there have been similar topics about renting out/selling the house in which selling the common advice is to strip it from HA.
Your thoughts about security: auto-updating is, as you know, not a good idea.
If the system is not accessible from the outside, you could leave HA to it’s current level and that can work, as I already have seen multiple times here on the forum (users with an older version of HA)
For me personally, if I were moving into a smart home, the biggest challenge would be persuading me that the smart systems couldn’t be used against me, or to spy on me, or to shut me out, or to take my credit card details.
If the alarm was smart, I’d need to be sure that nobody else could turn it off.
If you don’t update it’s quite stable indeed. But updates break stuff, often without user-level notice because you’re supposed to read all the changelogs At the same time for third-party you often must update as they change their API (Tado, Miele, …)
However you’re limited by the technology indeed… Zigbee is the first problem. It looks like KNX is much easier today at a glance.
At the same time for third-party you often must update as they change their API (Tado, Miele, …)