Best 8 Smart Home Gifts for Renters
The rules are literally different for renters and smart home devices. Renters often face restrictions on what devices they can use, where they can place security cameras, and whether they can drill holes in their walls or replace locks, which really limits the technology they can use. Additionally, property owners can make it clear in lease agreements that they have control over general home security, such as video doorbells or security systems.
So, if you want to give a tenant a high-tech home gift, where should you start? You still have plenty of options they’ll love: Here are our favorite picks for the renters in our lives.
Read more: 11 Home Safety Myths People Still Believe (But Shouldn’t)
A universal smart plug or two
Smart plugs are inexpensive ways to add automation to a home.
Because smart plugs only require a standard electrical outlet, renters can use them anywhere in the home without worrying about permanent damage. Smart plugs can lend their smart properties to everything from lamps and battery chargers to fountains and night lights.
Their apps let you set schedules, view energy usage, and create routines so that devices only turn on under certain conditions. Check out our full list of the best smart plugs here. Some of our favorite brands include Kasa, GE Cync, HBN and Leviton.
A compatible smart speaker
The Amazon Echo Dot With Clock is a great smart speaker and the addition of a clock for simple visual cues is fantastic.
Smart speakers from Amazon Echos to Apple HomePods come with voice assistant compatibility and ways to connect to favorite music services like Spotify, so renters can listen to their favorite songs on-demand — or just ask about today’s traffic.
Smart speakers can also connect to a variety of other smart home devices so they can be controlled with voice commands. And despite their small size, they’re quite good at filling a room with sound when needed. Some models even double as TV speaker bars. View our favorites here, from large to mini models.
You can also upgrade your gift to a smart display, which is similar but has a screen for video instructions, TV shows and so on.
Smart lights for important places
Smart lights add everything from mood lighting to extra alarm sound.
Smart bulbs screw into standard bulb sockets, and most models these days don’t require an additional hub to work. You can just screw them in, open the app to connect and control them the way you want. These lights are ideal for dimming and brightening throughout the day, setting mood lighting at certain times, or connecting to alarms and other smart home settings. We’ve rounded up the best smart bulbs here, from brands like Philips Hue, Wiz and Govee, with choices well under $20.
A stand-alone air quality monitor
SwitchBot’s air quality monitor is the cheapest way we’ve found to monitor the air quality in your home.
Air quality is important for health, alleviating allergies and getting a good night’s sleep. But tenants generally do not know what the air quality is in their apartment or rental home. You can help them with a high-tech dehumidifier or, for a cheaper option, this portable small air quality and humidity monitor from SwitchBot.
Arlo all-in-one sensor security system
Arlo’s all-in-one sensors are ideal for a small space.
Small security systems can be great for renters, but not everyone has the time or energy to set up and use them properly. For this, we prefer Arlo’s security system, which has 8-in-1 sensors that can do a little bit of everything wherever you put them, from detecting door openings to checking for leaks.
Just a few of these Arlo sensors ($100 total) can fill many different roles in a rental. If renters move to a more permanent home, they can also add a compatible doorbell and Arlo fob. Please note that features such as smart alerts and video storage require a subscription.
A separate camera
Tapo’s affordable camera is a great standalone model.
While mounting a security camera may be out of the question for renters, they can still set up their own shelf or table camera to keep an eye on their most valuable belongings. You can see our full indoor cam list here, but one of our favorites is this Tapo 2K pan/tilt cam ($35)which is cheap and does not require a subscription to get the most out of it.
A multi-mode air fryer
It looks good. It works great. What more can you ask for?
While it’s a smarter home than smart technology, a countertop air fryer meets all kinds of quick heating needs. It allows even beginners to prepare meals such as burgers, fries, chicken wings, pizza and many other tasty, quick meals in a way that is much healthier than traditional frying. Most models also allow you to slow roast, bake, reheat and more, making them a nice centerpiece for a small kitchen.
View our complete overview of the best air fryers here, with popular brands such as Ninja, Cosori and Gourmia.
A small smart safe
Lockly’s biometric safe is an excellent option for smaller home safes.
Renters probably shouldn’t bolt a home safe to the floor or wall, but luckily they can still benefit from a smaller smart safe to store valuables, cash, documents, and even weapons. One of our favorite models is this Lockly smart safe with fingerprint access, Bluetooth controls and a rotating number touchpad. We tried to fight our way in and had no luck!
For more in-depth tenant advice, check out security tips if you live with difficult roommates, the best home security systems for renters, and what to do if you rent or buy a home and encounter an unexpected security system.
