How self-guided tours work, and how to run them safely
A self-guided tour lets a prospect see a vacant unit on their own, without you or an agent present. They get a one-time way in (a smart lock code or a lockbox key), after you have confirmed who they are. It saves you a trip, but it only works well if the unit is truly empty, the way in expires on its own, and you offer a guided showing to anyone who asks for one.
What is a self-guided tour?
The prospect books a time slot, proves who they are, gets access to the unit for a short window, and walks through alone. Nobody from your side is on site. Two things make it different from just leaving a key under a mat: you know exactly who went in and when, and the access stops working afterward.
It suits vacant units that are clean, empty and safe to walk through. It does not suit a unit with a tenant still living in it, a unit mid-renovation, or a building with an unsecured basement, open roof access or anything else you would not want a stranger to find alone.
Lockbox or smart lock: which should you use?
Both do the same job. The difference is how well you control who can get in, and for how long.
| Key lockbox | Smart lock with timed codes | |
|---|---|---|
| What the prospect uses | A code to open the box, then a key | A personal code typed on the door |
| Expires after the tour | Only if you change the box code each time | Yes, the code can end on its own |
| Tells you who entered | No, only that someone did | Yes, most locks log each code used |
| Risk if the code is shared | Anyone with the code and the key | The code ends at the set time |
| Cost to set up | A box and a key per unit | A lock per door, and often a hub |
These are general differences between the two kinds of device, not a comparison of any brand. Check the manual for the lock you buy.
If you use a lockbox, treat the key as lost whenever you cannot say for sure that every visitor returned it. Re-key or change the box code between tour days, and never let the same code run for weeks.
Safety steps before and after the tour
- Collect a name, a phone number and a photo of a government ID before the code goes out. Hold the photo only as long as you need it and delete it after.
- Send the code shortly before the slot and let it run only for the slot, plus a short buffer.
- Check that the unit is empty of anything valuable, the water heater and electric panel are closed, and any tools or paint are gone.
- Tell the visitor the unit may be monitored if you have a camera at the entry, and put up the sign your state requires, if any. See camera and audio rules.
- Look at the unit after each tour: lights off, door locked, nothing moved or missing. A phone photo of each room before the first tour of the day makes this fast.
- Tell the visitor to leave if anything feels wrong, and to call you.
Think about your current tenants too. In a multi-unit building, strangers walking the halls alone are a concern for neighbors. Warn tenants in the building by email on tour days, and keep the route from the door to the unit short and well lit.
Fair housing rules still apply
The Fair Housing Act bans refusing to rent, or setting different terms, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin (HUD overview). A tour policy counts as a term. Three practical points:
- Use the same ID and booking steps for every prospect. Do not ask some people for more proof than others.
- Offer an accompanied showing to anyone who asks for one. A person with a disability may not be able to use a keypad, a stairway or a self-serve process, and the Act requires reasonable accommodations in rules, policies and practices (42 U.S.C. 3604(f)(3)(B)). The HUD and DOJ joint statement explains how that request should be handled.
- Do not tell a prospect that a unit is unavailable when it is not. Giving inaccurate availability information is its own violation (24 CFR 100.80). If self-guided slots are full, say so and offer another way to see the unit.
When a guided showing is still the better choice
- The prospect is relocating and has questions that need a person.
- The unit has a feature that needs explaining, such as a shared meter or a quirky stove.
- Several people want to see it at once and you want to meet each of them.
- The unit is occupied. Then the tenant's entry notice rules apply; see notice before entering.
Many owners use both: self-guided slots for simple units and a few fixed times a week when they walk people through in person.
How DoorKeeping handles it
DoorKeeping does not control locks or book tours, so the steps above stay with you. What it does cover is the paperwork after a prospect says yes: you ask Claude or ChatGPT to prepare the lease, and it goes to the tenant for e-signature after your one-tap approval. DoorKeeping is $2 per unit per month with every feature included.
Sources
- HUD, Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act, read Oct 30, 2026
- U.S. Code, Title 42, Section 3604 (Fair Housing Act, discrimination in sale or rental), read Oct 30, 2026
- 24 CFR 100.80, Discriminatory representations on the availability of dwellings, read Oct 30, 2026
- HUD and DOJ, Joint Statement on Reasonable Accommodations Under the Fair Housing Act (2004), read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- Are self-guided tours legal?
- Nothing in the Fair Housing Act bans them. What the Act requires is equal treatment of every prospect and reasonable accommodations, such as offering an accompanied showing to someone who cannot use the self-serve process.
- Do I need to verify ID for a self-guided tour?
- No law says you must, but it is a common safety step. If you do it, do it for every prospect, and delete the ID photo once you no longer need it.
- Can I use a smart lock code that stays the same for every tour?
- It works, but a code that never changes is easy to share. A code unique to each visitor that ends after the slot gives you a log and cuts the risk.