door locks recommended for Rent by the room?

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door locks recommended for Rent by the room?

Sim Narang
New to Real Estate · SF Bay Area · Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 3 votes

I'm House hacking my first SFH rental property and I plan on moving out after a year. Does each room need a door lock with key for safety reasons, or should I just keep privacy knobs installed? Is it worth the time and money to change out the locks? What door locks do you recommend (key vs touch key)?

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Angie CastroBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2022 · 133 posts · 127 votes
4y

If you are going to rent by the room I HIGHLY suggest getting a Keypad entry secure lock for each room. Save the headache of becoming an arbitrary in their fights plus minimize the liability.

[email protected]704-318-5494
Angie Castro with Monarch Group4.847 Reviews
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  • Angie CastroBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2022 · 133 posts · 127 votes
    4y

    If you are going to rent by the room I HIGHLY suggest getting a Keypad entry secure lock for each room. Save the headache of becoming an arbitrary in their fights plus minimize the liability.

    [email protected]704-318-5494
    Angie Castro with Monarch Group4.847 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    2Reply
  • Kimothy Bynum
    Real Estate Agent · Detroit · Member since 2020 · 127 posts · 63 votes
    4y

    Yea locks designed for each door sounds like a good idea. How much would it cost for you to add locks on each door?

    1Reply
  • Sim Narang
    OP
    New to Real Estate · SF Bay Area · Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 3 votes
    4y

    @Angie Castro - I have been reading this as being the recommended step, my only hesitation is the cost as I have a 5Bed (min ~$90/room)

    @Kimothy Bynum At minimum $450 for this cheap keypad entry which matches my bronze hardware (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ho...) or I could spend ~$141 to get the Kwikset MasterKey https://www.amazon.com/Kwikset...

    I have two rooms with their own bathrooms which I'm considering using AirBNB or Traveling nurses - so how about 2 x keypad and 3 x key knobs?   I need to do a better job estimating rehab costs on my next property...

    1Reply
  • Kimothy Bynum
    Real Estate Agent · Detroit · Member since 2020 · 127 posts · 63 votes
    4y
    Quote from @Sim Narang:

    @Angie Castro - I have been reading this as being the recommended step, my only hesitation is the cost as I have a 5Bed (min ~$90/room)

    @Kimothy Bynum At minimum $450 for this cheap keypad entry which matches my bronze hardware (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ho...) or I could spend ~$141 to get the Kwikset MasterKey https://www.amazon.com/Kwikset...

    I have two rooms with their own bathrooms which I'm considering using AirBNB or Traveling nurses - so how about 2 x keypad and 3 x key knobs?   I need to do a better job estimating rehab costs on my next property...


     Honestly try to reach out to someone that already has a property that is formatted the way yours will be. See what they are doing. 

    0Reply
  • Sim Narang
    OP
    New to Real Estate · SF Bay Area · Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 3 votes
    4y

    @Kimothy Bynum

    I have been struggling to network with someone local who is applying the same strategy but I know there's someone out there..

    In case someone comes across this thread...I found this BP podcast (Episode 560) who is using the same strategy  https://www.biggerpockets.com/...    .... keypad entry. 

    0Reply
  • Tommy Parker
    Property Manager · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2022 · 269 posts · 135 votes
    4y

    I suggest having door locks with keys. Honestly, I'd do key because of how easier and cheaper just based on my own thinking (no research). 

    1Reply
  • Kimothy Bynum
    Real Estate Agent · Detroit · Member since 2020 · 127 posts · 63 votes
    4y
    Quote from @Sim Narang:

    @Kimothy Bynum

    I have been struggling to network with someone local who is applying the same strategy but I know there's someone out there..

    In case someone comes across this thread...I found this BP podcast (Episode 560) who is using the same strategy  https://www.biggerpockets.com/...    .... keypad entry.

    find a Facebook group in your area. My facebook group here in Detroit has helped me so much. 


    0Reply
  • Zachary Gross
    Detroit Metro or near the most recent hurricane. · Member since 2019 · 4 posts · 0 votes
    4y

    You Can buy a cheap exterior doorknob/locket at homedepot for $10-20. You can do the install yourself in just a few minutes. I would give that a shot. I don't think the thickness of the door should be an issue, but something to double check. Each know usually comes with two keys.

    0Reply
  • Matt McGuirePro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Montgomery, TX · Member since 2018 · 201 posts · 103 votes
    4y

    I am doing the same strategy but I am not going to live there. The property is about 20 miles away and I am looking for a door knob lock with a key code that hooks to wifi so I can change it remotely whenever someone moves out. This seems like something most Airbnb owners would want too. I'm surprised there aren't more options out there. Most of the ones I am finding are over $100 and I have 7 bedrooms so I haven't pulled the trigger yet. When I do I will update but if someone finds one in the meantime I would love to know which one they used. 

    The best one I've found so far is TurboLock TL111WM Smart Door Lock. It does allow you to change the code from the app but it connects via Bluetooth so you have to be near the door to change the code. But, it lets you input up to 9 codes so I was thinking of just programming 9 in each knob and then just cycling which one I give out as tenants come and go. These ones are $75 at Walmart. 

    1Reply
  • Colleen F.Pro Member
    Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    4y

    @Sim Narang You can get away with it but MA fire marshal made us take non privacy keyed locks off bedroom doors in our personal home in MA during sale but lots of people do it. 

    Decide if you are going to go over or have someone go over to change the keys because keyless locks lets you or your cleaner easily delete the old key codes. The lock you have listed for honeywell I have and it has been fine for us. There are a number of cheaper ones on amazon but since you should change locks at turnover you might want to just go with one good type of lock and be done with it.  Just leave the current privacy locks on until you start renting each room if money is that tight.   That is assuming you can self install.

    0Reply
  • Johnathan Walton
    Real Estate Agent · Los Angeles · Member since 2020 · 14 posts · 10 votes
    4y

    Keypads are great but they aren't necessary and they're not nearly as cost effective as a manual key. You can get a key from Kiwi that lets you rekey the lock if someone loses a key instead of having to replace the entire lock upon a lost key.

    https://www.kwikset.com/smartk...

    0Reply
  • Colin Wong
    Rental Property Investor · Millbrae, CA · Member since 2018 · 8 posts · 0 votes
    4y

    I've used this one for exterior doors for a couple years now. I will install this in each bedroom, for my rent by the room house. This has a mechanical key, which is nice, just in case the battery dies.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T...

    0Reply
  • Bruce Moore
    Member since 2023 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Matt McGuire:

    I am doing the same strategy but I am not going to live there. The property is about 20 miles away and I am looking for a door knob lock with a key code that hooks to wifi so I can change it remotely whenever someone moves out. This seems like something most Airbnb owners would want too. I'm surprised there aren't more options out there. Most of the ones I am finding are over $100 and I have 7 bedrooms so I haven't pulled the trigger yet. When I do I will update but if someone finds one in the meantime I would love to know which one they used. 

    The best one I've found so far is TurboLock TL111WM Smart Door Lock. It does allow you to change the code from the app but it connects via Bluetooth so you have to be near the door to change the code. But, it lets you input up to 9 codes so I was thinking of just programming 9 in each knob and then just cycling which one I give out as tenants come and go. These ones are $75 at Walmart. 


     Matt, we have a five-bedroom house. which digital locks did you decide on for each bedroom? Also, does your rental management app automatically assign them a password and change the lock?

    0Reply
  • Matt McGuirePro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Montgomery, TX · Member since 2018 · 201 posts · 103 votes
    3y

    I am using Hornbill locks that I got from Amazon. They are OK but I have had some problems with the ones that are installed on the exterior doors. My house is a 7 bedroom and all the interior doors are working fine. The outside ones will sometimes just quit working randomly and the tenants are locked out. It seems to always happen in the middle of the night or super early like 4am. 

    The app will randomly generate a code for you but its not automatic. I have to go in and tell it to generate one but it only generates an 8 digit code for some reason. I like to keep it simple with 4 digit codes so I just "randomly" generate one myself. 

    0Reply
  • Brandon P.
    Lakeland, FL · Member since 2018 · 242 posts · 148 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Sim Narang:

    I'm House hacking my first SFH rental property and I plan on moving out after a year. Does each room need a door lock with key for safety reasons, or should I just keep privacy knobs installed? Is it worth the time and money to change out the locks? What door locks do you recommend (key vs touch key)?

    A normal door knob with a key lock is totally fine for interior doors. Keypad for exterior door only. This is what my wife and I do at our house hack and there have been no problems at all.
    0Reply
  • Matt McGuirePro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Montgomery, TX · Member since 2018 · 201 posts · 103 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Brandon P.:
    Quote from @Sim Narang:

    I'm House hacking my first SFH rental property and I plan on moving out after a year. Does each room need a door lock with key for safety reasons, or should I just keep privacy knobs installed? Is it worth the time and money to change out the locks? What door locks do you recommend (key vs touch key)?

    A normal door knob with a key lock is totally fine for interior doors. Keypad for exterior door only. This is what my wife and I do at our house hack and there have been no problems at all.

     That's true if you are house hacking, but my goal was to never have to go there. I don't want to have to collect keys from tenants and deal with lost keys. I just wanted to be able to do everything remotely. 

    0Reply
  • Amy Greenwood
    Real Estate Agent · Willoughby, OH · Member since 2021 · 44 posts · 42 votes
    3y

    Following. We're house hacking a 7 bedroom. Starting with one room at a time. My husband, adult son, and I live here so we want to be cautious. 

    0Reply
  • Waylon Bruce MoorePro Member
    Member since 2023 · 32 posts · 8 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Sim Narang:

    I'm House hacking my first SFH rental property and I plan on moving out after a year. Does each room need a door lock with key for safety reasons, or should I just keep privacy knobs installed? Is it worth the time and money to change out the locks? What door locks do you recommend (key vs touch key)?


     Sim, Which lock did you settle on for your interior doors?

    0Reply
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