What Are the Best Smart Door Locks for Rental Properties?
When it comes to increasing the safety and security of your rental property, smart locks are a must. We consider them to be the best door locks for rental properties for a wide variety of reasons. Here’s how smart locks beat out traditional lock-and-keys.
Why Traditional Key-and-Lock Combinations Fall Short
- Replacement cost in the event of key loss or theft
- The keys to these locks can be copied if stolen
- Requires constant lock changes by a locksmith
- Require maintenance staff to house rows upon rows of different types of keys for locks, causing confusion and inconvenience
- Property managers rely on tenants to return keys to locks at end of lease term
What is a Smart Door Lock?
Smart door locks offer you a way out of the problems mentioned above.
Modern and stylish, these devices grant access to authorized personnel through access codes that get punched into a keypad.
By digitizing apartment entry, property managers can monitor the comings and goings of hired personnel, while tenants no longer have to worry about inconveniences like lockouts.
Moreover, smart locks come with cryptographic keys (for robust security), while Bluetooth or cell phone-enabled door locks may not.
What are the Best Door Locks for Rental Properties?
Here are our four main reasons why smart locks are the best door locks for rental properties:
- Security
- Greater convenience
- Greater efficiency
- COVID-19 relevant
Are Smart Locks More Secure?
Smart locks are more secure than traditional locks for a number of reasons.
First, since no physical keys are required, there is no possibility of either losing them or having a house key fall into the wrong hands.
There’s also the security of knowing that you won’t ever be locked out.
Here are three types of lockouts and how the smart locks avoid them.
- Tenant forgets their access code. The tenant can simply reset their access code through an app on their phone.
- Tenant loses mobile phone or app access. They still have other methods of entry. Namely, through a property manager providing them with a new code. Property managers also have access to a master backup code for each unit.
- Smart lock runs out of battery. To avoid getting into this situation, both property manager and tenant are alerted whenever battery levels fall below a certain percentage (30% in the case of Arize’s smart lock); on the off chance that the battery does run itself all the way down, the property manager can get in with a version of a traditional key to replace the battery.
Finally, if you ever forget to lock a door to one of your units, you can (in most cases) lock it remotely, even if you happen to be off the property.
How are Smart Locks More Convenient for Property Managers?
Smart locks give property managers a variety of advantages during COVID-19 and beyond. Read our full article on smart door locks to learn more about how smart locks create a more efficient process for property managers.
