One of the most important parts of building a short term rental is to have security gate and a seamless way for guests to check themselves in. You want security to be strong but easy enough for your guests to enter the property. Building a contactless check in system starts with building a security gate. My property includes a security gate along the fence line in my side yard. Guests check themselves in and proceed to the backyard unit.
A security gate will offer a checkpoint where your guest will input the gate code to enter. This checkpoint also comes with motion sensor lights and cctv camera to monitor check-ins remotely. This gate will filter out unwanted visitors and let your guests know you are serous about security.
The gated area also includes larger swinging gates that can be opened if a truck needs to be driven in the backyard. This larger gate is closed with a regular latch that can only be opened from the inside and is not intended to be opened often or by guests.
Measure the area for security gate
My short term rental is a tiny house that is 9 feet wide. I wanted to have the option of towing the tiny house out of the backyard. I decided to make the larger opening 11 feet across or 5.5 feet per gate. This left 4 feet for the gate with the coded lock.
This area of my yard used to have a chain link fence and chain link gate across this gap. There were cement posts already in place where I planned on building my new gate. I built off of the old chain link posts that were already poured. One of the old posts was secure but the other two were not.
After inspecting them they weren’t buried deep enough or secure enough to hold the weight of the gate I wanted to build. I needed to remove the old posts and pour new concrete for more secure posts. Based on this I made my measurements accordingly.
Removing the old posts
The old chain link fence posts weren’t the right measurements and were too weak to hold the weight of a heavier gate. Removing old chain link fence posts is actually rather easy. For one of the posts it was in bad shape and easy enough to just pull the post out of the ground cement and all. I removed the other post by cutting it with an angle grinder all the way to the ground.
Digging holes for the new posts
I made measurements on the ground where I wanted the posts to be based on the desired widths. Before you begin digging make sure you have an idea if there are any utilities underground in that area. Using the tape measure I made sure all the holes would be in a straight line. The hole where I ripped the post out of the ground was already dug but needed more depth.
You want posts to have 1/3 their length underground in the cement. My soil is rather soft so I was able to dig with a shovel but a post digger may be a better fit for your soil. I chose for my posts to be 6 foot long 4×4 lumber. This means 2 feet would be buried under ground. I dug the holes 2 feet deep by 1.5 wide.
Pouring the concrete
I placed the 4×4 posts in the hole and pushed them into the dirt so they would stand upright. Mix high strength concrete mix with water in a bucket. Pour the slurry of concrete into the hole around the 4×4 post. A bag of concrete should fill a hole of this size. Pat down the slurry smooth and up against the post.
Before the concrete sets use a level to make sure the post is completely plum on both sides. Let the concrete set for 24 hours before hanging any weight on the post. It helps to strengthen the concrete if you pour water on it twice a day after pouring the concrete. Concrete sets and does not dry which a chemical process. The watering continues the chemical reaction which strengthens the concrete.
Building the big security gate
I bought an extend a gate kit that would act as the frame of the larger gate. This frame has an extending or retracting metal bar that can slide out. I bought two gate kits to make up the two doors of the kit. The bigger gate has 2 doors that are 5.5 feet long each. I chose this length because the gate kit could extend to this length.
Setting up the gate kit is rather easy as there are screw holes where you connect all of the parts. The gate does not come with the 2×4 framing lumber or sheathing for the gate. You want to cut the 2×4 lumber to size and insert it in the metal frame of the gate kit. You will cut a top piece and bottom piece for each gate door.
I had left over corrugated metal from a roofing project. I decided to use this corrugated metal as the sheathing for the gate. The metal pieces are laid down overlapping at the ends and screwed into the wood 2x4s. It helps to install the corrugated metal while the frame is laying on the ground. Use roofing screws to drive through the corrugated metal into the wood 2x4s.
Installing J hooks
The gate will hang on J hooks that are inserted into the posts. One post is made of wood and was the one I just poured cement for. The other post was part of the old chain link fence and this post is made of metal. The extenda gate kit came with J hooks that were designed to be screwed into wood only. I had to buy a second pair of J hooks that could be inserted into the metal post.
When inserting the J hook into the wood post I drilled pilot holes slightly thinner than the width of the J hook. From there you can screw the J hook into the post by hand. For the J hook in the metal post the hook will be held into place by 2 nuts on either end of bolt. I installed J hooks for both the metal post and the wood post.
The J hooks must be installed with the top J hook facing down and the bottom J hook facing up. If they are installed with both facing up the gate can be pulled up and off the hooks by intruders. It may take a few trial and errors to get the right depth of the J hooks.
Hanging the gates
The extend a gate will come with metal hook receivers that can be slid up or down the gate to adjust the height of the gate off the ground. After finding the right height the hook receiver can be tightened down so it doesn’t slide anymore.
I would recommend getting a few pieces of scrap wood and placing them where the gate will be installed. This wood will prop up the gate up while the J hook receivers are being adjusted onto the J hooks. Start by sliding the receiver down onto the bottom J hook and make sure its a good height. Then slide the receiver up onto the top J hook. If the door looks like its at a good height tighten the nuts on the J hook receivers to fix it in place.
The wood propping it up can now be removed and the door should swing freely. Complete the same process for the other door of the gate. Make sure both gates are the same height off the ground. if you get lucky the doors will swing freely with no issues and come together when closed with a small gap between each.
Adjusting the gates
You may find the gates don’t perfectly align the first try. It will take some trial and error to adjust them to the right height off the ground and distance from each other. To adjust height prop wood under the door and loosen the receivers to move the gate up or down. To adjust the distance between the gate doors you will need to take the gate door off and adjust the depth of the J hooks in the post.
The J hooks in the wood posts can be screwed in or out to adjust depth. The J hooks in the metal post can be slid in ot out and tightened down with the nuts on the bolt. After a few tries you will find a good optimal placement of the gate doors so they close together and close enough for a latch to connect them both.
Build the security door
I built the security door out of fence boards to the exact size of the opening. The way I did this is by having boards running vertically and connecting them with the support posts that run perpendicular. I also ran a piece that runs at an angle to create more support on the door and prevent sagging. The door is attached to the post with metal hinges. The hinges connect to the perpendicular boards that connect all the fence boards.
The opening was 40 inches wide and my fence boards are 5.5 inches wide each. Including gaps between boards this meant the security door would be made up of 7 boards based on measurements I wanted my gate to be 58” tall so I cut 7 boards to that length. I then laid the boards on the ground and use spacers to make sure the boards were spaced equidistant.
After I laid the spacers I cut the two perpendicular boards at 40” to connect all 7 fence boards. I screwed this perpendicular boards to the 7 vertical boards. I finished off by measuring a board laid at an angle. It makes it easier if you lay this board on top of the gate and make the markings on the board from there. Screw down the angled board and the door is complete.
Painting the security gate door
I started by fully sanding the security gate door to prepare it for painting. The first layer of paint is a white primer coat that will help the next layers of paint stick. I love making things funky so I painted each fence board a different color. I painted the door in a pattern that matched the colors I painted the garage door in the front of the house. It helps to use smaller brushes to paint the details.
I think it turned out really cool looking. Touches like this will really add some character to your short term rental. Guests love unique details and a door is a good first impression to set the tone for your guest’s stay.
Installing the security door
The security gate would close between the two posts and be stopped by a strip of wood where the deadbolt would be installed. I bought two gate door hinges and screwed them into the perpendicular support boards of the door. I then screwed the other end of the hinge into the wooded post.
When installing the door to the post I was cognizant of the spacing of the door so it would fit in the opening. The door needed to swing freely within the confines of the opening but be close enough to the other post to hit the stopper. It helps to prop the door up with something underneath it while doing the installation.
Installing the hardware on the door
I decided to use a deadbolt with a mechanical keypad and door knob. The keypad knob would attach to the door and the dead bolt would extend into the post to lock the security door in place. The hole for the deadbolt to go into is placed right next to the strip of wood that stops the door. The idea is that the door would be closed against the strip and locked in place from there.
My door was constructed with 1×6 wood so it was a little bit thin to accommodate a keypad door lock. To fix this I cut a piece of 2×6 lumber to size and screwed it to the door where the lock was going to be placed. This created enough width on the door for the keypad handle to be attached.
Next step was to drill holes where the door knob and door tongue can be attached. You can use a guide that shows exactly where to drill the holes however I have enough experience to do it freehand. The turning mechanism of the door handle slides right into the mechanism of the tongue that opens or closes the deadbolt. Follow the instructions of the deadbolt.
Next is drilling a hole in the post for the deadbolt. Unlock the mechanism of the deadbolt and close the door. You should be able to see exactly where the deadbolt will be interacting with the post and you can make a measurement from there. Drill the hole where the measurement was made with a 1 inch drill bit. Close the door and make sure the deadbolt fits in the hole. If everything works correctly you can install the faceplate over the hole.
Finishing touches
At this point I had installed the 2 door big gate and installed the security door for guests to enter. To finish things off I added some trim to the edges of the big gate. I stained the posts to make them match the trim of the gate. To make the walkway to the security gate more appealing I added crushed gravel on the path and some potted plants.
Another key element to a security gate for a short term rental is having a motion sensor light at the gated area so if tenants arrive at night they can get in and out safely. I also installed a security camera so check ins can be managed remotely. This will also allow you to manage guests and monitor that everyone is following the rules.
How much is an entrance security gate?
| Wood Fence Boards | Gate kit | 2x4s | 4×4 posts and cement | Keypad Entry | Sheet metal | Total |
| $20 | $52 | $5 | $25 | $56 | $50 | $208 |
Conclusion: Build a security gate for a short term rental
If you are serious about running a short term rental business it is important to build systems that will make everything run smooth. Having a security gate where your guests will enter allows you to do check ins remotely. This will ease the stress of running a short term rental business and create security for your guests.
More resources: https://learnbnb.com/systemize-automate-your-airbnb-turnover-operations-maidthis/