SMS Terms

Effective Date: September 13, 2026
Last Updated: October 8, 2026

1. What This Program Is

Program name: GrantKey Lockout Assistance

Operated by: Bower & Kip Properties, LLC d/b/a GrantKey (“GrantKey”), on behalf of the property manager or host who operates the rental property you are staying at (the “Operator”).

Who your agreement is with: GrantKey provides this service to the Operator, on the Operator’s instructions and using the property and reservation information the Operator supplies. Your agreement for your stay is with the Operator, not with GrantKey. GrantKey does not rent you the property, set its rules, or manage your reservation.

What it does: GrantKey is an automated text-message service for one situation — a guest who cannot get into a short-term rental property, usually because a smart lock has failed. You text the number posted at the property, GrantKey runs an automated check against the reservation records for that property, and if the check passes, GrantKey texts you the location of the backup key and any code needed to retrieve it. GrantKey also notifies the Operator. If the check does not pass, GrantKey tells you how to reach the Operator.

What it does not do: This is not a general guest-support line. GrantKey cannot help with Wi-Fi, parking, appliances, house rules, checkout, refunds, or reservation changes. Those go to your Operator.

Who can use it: This service is intended for adult guests. You must be at least 18 years old to use it.

Message category: Customer care / conversational. Two-way, guest-initiated, transactional. No marketing or promotional messages are ever sent through this program.

This program is entirely guest-initiated. You are the one who starts the conversation.

You consent to receive text messages from GrantKey by texting the GrantKey number posted at the property — typically on a placard near the entry, in your check-in instructions, or in a message from your Operator. Sending that first text is your opt-in, and it applies only to that conversation about that lockout. By texting the number, you also agree to the guest terms in Section 13 below.

See the sign, the exact consent wording and the messages a guest receives on our page How GrantKey texting works.

We do not text you unless you text us first.
We do not add you to any list, campaign, or recurring program.
We will not text you again after your lockout conversation ends, except to complete that conversation.
Consent to receive these messages is not a condition of your reservation or of any purchase. If you would rather not use it, contact your Operator directly.

3. Message Frequency

Message frequency varies. Messages are sent only in response to your messages during a lockout conversation — usually fewer than ten messages. There is no recurring or scheduled messaging.

4. Cost

Message and data rates may apply. GrantKey does not charge you anything for using this service. Your mobile carrier may charge you for sending and receiving text messages according to your plan. Check with your carrier if you are unsure.

5. How to Opt Out

Reply STOP to any message from the GrantKey number to stop receiving messages from it. We will send one confirmation message and then stop.

Please understand what STOP means here: if you opt out, GrantKey will not be able to help you get into the property. If you are locked out, contact your Operator or host directly instead.

You can also reply: UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, OPTOUT, REVOKE, or STOPALL — all have the same effect.

To start again later, text the GrantKey number again.

6. How to Get Help

Reply HELP to any GrantKey message for a short description of the service and GrantKey’s support contact information (support@grantkey.io or (571) 406-4034).

For anything about your reservation, your stay, or the property itself, contact your Operator or host — that is your point of contact, and they can resolve it faster than we can. For questions about the text service itself, you can reach us at [support@grantkey.io].

7. Emergencies — Read This

Do not use this service in an emergency.

If there is a fire, a medical emergency, a threat to anyone’s safety, or you believe someone has entered or is trying to enter the property without authorization, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

GrantKey is an automated text service. It is not monitored in real time by a person, it is not an alarm or security system, it is not an emergency response service, and it cannot dispatch help.

8. Supported Carriers and Delivery

This program operates on U.S. mobile carrier networks and is intended to work with major U.S. carriers. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Text messages depend on mobile carrier networks and third-party messaging providers that we do not control. Messages may be delayed, delivered out of order, or not delivered at all. GrantKey does not guarantee that any message will be delivered or delivered promptly. If you do not get a reply within a few minutes, contact your Operator.

The service requires a mobile device capable of two-way SMS on a supported carrier. It may not work with some prepaid plans, VoIP or virtual numbers, landlines, or international numbers.

9. Security — What You Should Know

The messages in this program may contain the location of a backup key and a code to retrieve it. SMS is not encrypted end to end. That means:

Anyone with access to your phone can read the message.
The message stays on your device until you delete it.
Message content passes through carrier and provider systems.

Please delete the message once you are inside, and do not forward the key location or code to anyone.

Also note: the automated check GrantKey performs confirms that the name and timing you give match a reservation on file. It is not identity verification. It does not prove who you are, and it is one safeguard among several the Operator is responsible for — not a guarantee against unauthorized access.

10. Privacy

When you text GrantKey, we receive your mobile phone number, the messages you send, and the timestamps. We use them to run the automated check, reply to you, notify your Operator, and keep an audit record of the access event.

We do not sell your information. We do not use your phone number for marketing. We do not share mobile information with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

Your Operator decides how guest information is handled in this service; GrantKey processes it on the Operator’s instructions. Full details — including how long we keep messages and how to request access or deletion — are in our Privacy Policy (grantkey.io/privacy).

11. Changes

We may update these SMS Terms. Changes are posted here with an updated date and take effect when posted. The current version is always available at grantkey.io/sms.

12. Contact

GrantKey — a product of Bower & Kip Properties, LLC
866 Belvedere Boulevard, Charlottesville, VA 22901
[support@grantkey.io] · (571) 406-4034

13. Guest Terms of Use

These terms apply to you as a guest when you text GrantKey. They are short on purpose.

13.1 What you are agreeing to. By texting the GrantKey number, you agree to these Guest Terms. If you do not agree, do not text the number — contact your Operator or host instead.

13.2 Automated service. GrantKey is automated. No person reads your messages in real time. It answers only lockout requests and cannot help with anything else.

13.3 Not identity verification. The check GrantKey runs compares the name and timing you provide against the reservation records on file. It does not verify your identity. It is one safeguard among several your Operator is responsible for, and it is not a guarantee against unauthorized access.

13.4 No guarantee of access or delivery. GrantKey does not guarantee that you will be able to enter the property, that any message will reach you, or that it will reach you quickly. Text messaging depends on carrier networks GrantKey does not control. If you do not get a reply within a few minutes, contact your Operator.

13.5 Not for emergencies. See Section 7. In an emergency, call 911.

13.6 Your responsibilities. Do not use the service to seek access to a property you are not entitled to enter. Do not share or forward the key location or code to anyone. Delete the message once you are inside. Do not send GrantKey identification numbers, payment details, or other sensitive information.

13.7 Limitation of liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, GrantKey is not liable to you for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost time, travel or lodging costs, or inconvenience, arising from the service, the failure of any message to arrive, or the outcome of the automated check. To the fullest extent permitted by law, GrantKey’s total liability to you for any claim relating to the service will not exceed one hundred U.S. dollars ($100). Nothing in these Guest Terms limits any liability that cannot be limited under applicable law, including liability for personal injury or wrongful death, and nothing in them limits any right you have against your Operator or host.

13.8 Your Operator remains responsible for your stay. Claims about your reservation, the property, its locks, its condition, or your access to it are between you and your Operator.

13.9 Governing law. These Guest Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules, except where the law of your state of residence provides you rights that cannot be waived.