Key box self check-in for Canadian cottages, condos and B&Bs
For a cottage two hours from the city or a downtown condo, a key box is often the only practical way to let guests in: they arrive after dark, enter four digits and find the keys. What deserves care is not the box but the code: who receives it, when, and after you have checked what. This guide covers the Canadian rules that touch self check-in and a simple method for sending codes without risk or manual work.
- Canada has no national guest registration rule, but provinces and cities register short-term rentals.
- Strata corporations and condo boards can restrict rentals and what you attach to the building.
- Verify first, then hand over the code on arrival day.
- Rotate codes and know who already has the old one.
The Canadian rules that matter
There is no federal law requiring hosts to record every guest's ID. What exists is registration of the rental itself, at provincial or municipal level. British Columbia's provincial registry requires hosts to display a registration number on listings since May 1, 2025. Quebec requires a registration number from the tourism authorities to appear in every listing, and platforms must check it. Toronto registers short-term rentals and limits whole-home rentals of a principal residence to 180 nights a year. Our guide to short-term rental rules by province has the details.
None of these rules forbids a key box, but several require you to be reachable and responsible for the property. Checking who is coming is good practice in any case: a direct booking arrives with only a name and a card. Asking for a photo ID before arrival and comparing it with the booking is a reasonable step, as long as you store it securely and delete it when you no longer need it.
Strata, condos and cottages
In a condominium or a strata building, the bylaws decide whether short-term rentals are allowed at all, and many forbid them or set a minimum stay. They also tend to cover what can be fixed to railings, doors and common areas. For a cottage, think about winter: a key box can freeze or end up under snow, so pick a sheltered spot and tell guests exactly where it is, with a photo. Check with your insurer too, since some policies set conditions on key boxes and on rentals.
The method in five steps
- Online check-in a few days before arrival, with a photo ID if you ask for one.
- Your review: compare details, ID and booking; call if something does not add up.
- Approval: only then may the guest receive the code.
- Arrival-day message with the code, on the morning of check-in.
- Regular code changes, with a heads-up to anyone who already has the old one.
Doing this by hand is where things go wrong: a message sent too early, to the wrong guest or with an outdated code. That is the part worth automating. For the other messages around a stay, including bilingual versions for Quebec, see our guest message templates.
How it works in Vezpa
Since October 15, 2026, Vezpa manages access devices, meaning the key boxes and keypad locks of your units.
Set up each device once
Open Configuration, then Rooms, then "Access devices". Give each device a name (say "Cottage box"), a short description, the code and the units it serves. A single box can serve several units and a unit can have more than one device, for example the box and the front door. Codes are stored encrypted. For now devices are the "Offline (fixed code)" type: you choose the code, and connected smart locks are not integrated yet.
The guest checks in online
A PIN protects the check-in link and travels with it. The ID photo can be optional or mandatory; photos are encrypted and deleted seven days after checkout.
You approve from the booking
The "Keys" card in the booking shows the status. When online check-in is complete, an "Approve check-in" button appears. You can approve days before arrival; recording the arrival check-in from the booking counts as approval too.
The code is sent automatically
- The "Access codes" automation fills in the access code only for approved bookings; before approval the field stays empty everywhere.
- It goes out on arrival day at the time you set (8:00 a.m. by default), or immediately if you approve later that same day.
- It is sent once per booking; with two devices the guest reads, for example, "Cottage box: 1123, Front door: 9876".
- It is written in the guest's language, so French-speaking guests can get the French version, and it reaches channel chats when the guest's email is a relay address.
The preset starts switched off with its text ready; turn it on after adding your devices.
Changing a code
Codes are read from the device at sending time, not copied into bookings, so a change applies to every later message. When you save a new code, Vezpa shows how many guests with current or upcoming stays already received the old one.
Online check-in and automations are part of every plan, from Smart at C$49 a month.
Approve the check-in, the code follows
Access devices for each unit, online check-in with a PIN, approval from the booking and the code sent on arrival day. Open the demo in your browser.
Try it in your browser →Frequently asked questions
- Are key boxes allowed for short-term rentals in Canada?
- No national rule forbids them. Your municipal bylaw, provincial registration, strata or condo bylaws and insurance can still set conditions, so check them first. Many condo buildings restrict short-term rentals altogether.
- When should I send the key box code to guests?
- On arrival day, once you have checked the guest's details. Sending it with the booking confirmation gives it out weeks early to someone you have not verified, and possibly before you change the code.
- Can Vezpa send the code in French and English?
- Yes. You write the automation once per language and each guest receives the version in their own language. The preset text is already provided in both.
- Does Vezpa work with smart locks?
- Not yet. Access devices are the offline type, with a fixed code you enter yourself, like mechanical key boxes and keypad locks. Other device types are planned, but connected smart locks are not integrated.
Sources and caveats. British Columbia short-term rental registry, as summarized by Bennett Jones; Government of Quebec on the Tourist Accommodation Act; City of Toronto short-term rental rules. This is not legal advice; check your provincial and municipal rules. Vezpa features as of October 2026.