Investor · Frederick, MD · Member since 2016 · 56 posts · 11 votes
Hey BP,
I own a few small multifamilies and am now up to 14 doors. At the moment, each unit has unique keys for the front and back doors. So, I have about 30 keys, not including keys to side doors, basements, etc. Right now, I am considering having a master key that will work in all doors and rekey as necessary at turn over. This option seems expensive. Does anyone have experience with this?
Does anyone have another system they recommend for managing unit access? I am open to suggestions!
Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes
9y
@Omer Ashkenazi I use the Kwikset Smartkey technology. You can get locks at any home improvement store. I only key the deadbolt and for the lever/knob I install a commercial grade non-locking handle. This prevents a tenant lock-out situation, because you need a key to lock the deadbolt. It also means I only need to rekey one lock per door. The other nice thing is that using a commercial knob means it will last longer. I have had plenty of cheap locks and knobs break over the years, so I pay for good stuff now. The Kwikset Smartkey takes 30 seconds to rekey and no locksmith. I don't rotate keys within a unit or even within my properties. I go to Home Depot or Lowes and ask them if they have left over keys from a rekey. They have a bucket of keys that are just left over from when they rekey for customers. They give me keys for free. I have ten sets of new keys waiting for future tenants. Another nice thing is you can rekey your properties for showing. Lets say you have five vacant properties, rekey them all to the same key. Then all your maintenance people or people showing the property can use one key to access all your empty properties. Since it only takes 30 seconds, it is easy to change at any time.
Chicago, IL · Member since 2017 · 39 posts · 33 votes
9y
Landlordlocks.com is awesome. I always buy extra cores and have 1 key for 100s of doors. Takes only a few seconds to switch out cores when a tenant moves out or they lose a kay. I will never switch back to another system.
St Thomas, Ontario · Member since 2013 · 575 posts · 408 votes
9y
@Rich N. I put Kwikset Smartkey locks on all of my units and then when I was rekeying one for a turnover the lock jammed up completely. I had read about this happening before and had brushed these stories off, and then it happened to me. I used the Smartkey tool and tried repeatedly to get it to work but neither the old nor the new key would open the lock. My locksmith says this is a common problem with Kwikset Smartkey locks and having seen it for myself I believe him. My handyman was at the unit when it happened so I sent him off to get a new deadbolt while I waited behind. Otherwise I would have had to leave the unit unlocked to go and get one myself. I am sure that there are more troubling scenarios that could ensue but this was troubling enough for me; I decided to get out of Smartkey locks.
I looked around and the best solution I can find is Landlord Locks MFS aka iCore locks. They use an established technology and you swap cores so as to change the lock. According to Landlord Locks it is based on a formerly patented system that the US Government and other institutional users have used to secure their properties. As others have mentioned you just use the control key and can swap out cores in seconds. Once you have switched over your one master key will unlock all of your units. The locks are commercial grade and will last. I just decided that rather than wait for more problems with Smartkey locks I would change over to something that is more reliable. If I had kept going with the Smartkey locks I would likely have deferred rekeying in the hope of avoiding more problems, but that defeats the purpose. Ideally the locks should be changed in between tenants. So I am moving over to Landlord Locks now and I can see the benefits that others have talked about. I am having them put on each unit at turnover, which spreads out the overhead in terms of time as well as the expense, which is comparatively modest in the scheme of things. The whole idea of locks and security is that you as landlord should have control over who has access to your property. When it comes to locks I want no surprises. So that underlies my decision to change over to Landlord Locks.
Thanks for the information. I too have heard of this issue, but chanced it because I was tired of taking the whole deadbolt and knob lock of each time and a few of mine units had four entrance doors. That was driving me crazy 8 locks on and off at turnover. This was before the it was acceptable more often to just use passage knobs (which I have begun to do).
I did look into the landlord locks and it looked like most master key systems that required you to continue to go back to them or a locksmith (basically held hostage).
Hence, even though I like the kwikset 816 series mentioned in this thread, It fell out of favor to me as soon as I found out about the master key not being able to be duplicate by anyone but kwikset (once again being held hostage).
I do notice a lot of folks loving the landlord locks icore setup, so I will check it out again.
Wilmington, DE · Member since 2016 · 116 posts · 59 votes
9y
I actually just put an electronic deadbolt on my primary residence to do a trial run. It was about $50-60 for the lock itself, and it comes with 2 hard keys just in case. The electronic deadbolt can store up to X codes, and it has a master code as well so your tenants don't have to tell you their passcode if they dont want to.
This eliminates 2 issues: 1) you never have to rekey again. You just wipe out all the codes and reset for the new tenant.... and 2) you never have to go to their place for a lock out.
big win all around for a relatively low investment for a long period of time.
I use Landlordlocks.com and I love it. I have 2 keys in my pocket giving me access to over 100 properties in 2 states. It takes me about 10 seconds to change a core to give the next tenant a new key and yes I rotate the cores. Every lock in a unit is keyed with the same core.
I do not use locking doorknobs on entry doors, years ago a locksmith told me that they were the number one cause of kicked in doors. Tenants will lock the doorknob on their way out and forget their keys, then they kick the door in and report that someone has broken into their home. Since taking that advice in 2008, I have not had a single entry door kicked in ever.
Regarding the Kwikset Smart Key system... a lock smith once showed me how easy it is to bump the lock open, they are not a secure lock system at all!
I would encourage people to consider the Kwikset Smartkey. The Smartkey has been redesigned since being introduced ten years ago to improve rekeying and prevent bumping. The Smartkey locks I purchase at Home Depot are ANSI Grade 1 which is the highest level of residential protection. The locks they sell on Landlordlocks.com are ANSI Grade 2 and are Kwikset Duramax type. Check out this locksmith picking a Duramax lock in 30 seconds:
Any lock can be defeated, so it is probably more a matter of cost and convenience. Locksmiths really dislike the Smartkey in particular because rekeying is part of their business.
Visalia-Fresno, CA · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 863 votes
9y
It seems like in low income properties the tenants beat the heck out of the locks or replace with there own locks..... I need to grow up and buy nicer properties.
I am new here. Not sure the rules of the forum. I put a door lock solution in place that is self provisioning works with most of the z-wave door locks and keycafe.
Rental Property Investor · Chappaqua, NY · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 947 votes
7y
@Omer Ashkenazi those kwikset smart keys are very easy to force open. They lock might still work but Once forced the lock is not able to be mastered again.