Smart locks for rental

Foster City, California
General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Smart locks for rental

Pal Sa
Member since 2022 · 33 posts · 10 votes

I would like to get your inputs on whether I am on the right or wrong path. Our previous tenant installed smart lock to our rental because our current lock had issues. I did not have any concerns with it. They stayed for few years and recently moved out. Now my rental will be in market. I have few questions, given this is the first time my rental will have a smartlock for new tenant.

  1. I will do factory reset of the lock and change programmable code and change user access codes.

  2. New tenants will have new wifi in the house. The wifi the previous tenant had is gone.

  3. I will rekey the cylinders. It has physical key as well.

  4. In my lease clause, I plan to say "use physical key. Optionally they can use the smart lock."

  5. I do not plan to share programmable code with new tenants. I will only give access codes and ask them not to change the code. I do not plan to mention any codes in lease document. How do I give access codes then? Write them down on a piece of paper at the time of move in?

  6. What if tenants want to change access codes in future? I can go and change it but I prefer not to be in this situation. I do not plan to install the app on my phone or to any remote management at all.

  7. Is it better to just rely on physical key and not worry about smartlock? It was very convenient to not have to carry the physical key. But then it also can add new problems. Tenants may loose the habit of carrying the physical key and get locked out if it runs out of battery.

If any of you have experience dealing with smart locks for long term rental, please share your experiences.

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  • Harrison C.
    Member since 2017 · 58 posts · 27 votes
    3d

    youre on the right path. factory reset, new codes, rekey the cylinder. thats the right order.

    yes keep the programming code to yourself. give them their own access code at move in, on paper or a text is fine. id keep it out of the lease. the lease just needs to say theres a keypad, who changes the batteries, and that they dont reprogram it.

    if they want a different code later, let them pick the digits and you set it. thats the one reason id still put the app on your phone. you can change a code without driving over, and you dont have to use it for anything else.

    dead battery is the real lockout risk. most keypads warn for weeks before they quit. id put it in the lease that they tell you when the low battery warning starts, and keep the key working as the backup like you planned.

    I use keypad locks in my rentals and wouldnt go back. no keys to chase at move out, you just turn the code off.

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  • Hossein Sharifi
    Investor · Member since 2023 · 86 posts · 40 votes
    3d

    Your direction is mostly right: keep landlord control of the admin side, rekey the physical cylinder, and treat the smart lock as a convenience, not the only way in.

    In the lease I'd say the physical key is primary access, electronic codes are a privilege you can revoke, and tenants can't add users, change admin settings, or factory-reset, with a lockout fee if you have to come out. Hand codes over at move-in on a signed key/code receipt, then rotate them every turnover.

    If you skip the app entirely, you become the code desk for every roommate change and lockout. Putting the manufacturer app on a landlord-only device lets you rotate codes without a site visit. Photograph the install before the new lease starts.

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    • Pal Sa
      OP
      Member since 2022 · 33 posts · 10 votes
      3d

      Thank you.

      This is a long term rental and fixed number of tenants per term. I agree with you about lock out.

      One of the reasons why I dont want to do app is I don't want visibility into their entry and exit. I don't want to argue or prove later if needed. I want to be able to say I never had app installed. That said, if I need to generate a new code, I will have to go there to do it without the app.

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  • Matthew Tregoning
    Property Manager · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 353 posts · 150 votes
    3d

    What make and model is the lock? I would start with its actual manual, because the setup and remote-management requirements differ. Since the old Wi-Fi is gone, test the keypad and physical key in the condition the new tenant will receive them, rather than assuming an app will give you remote access.

    At move-in, a quick demonstration is worth doing: lock it, unlock it, identify the low-battery indicator and show where the battery cover is. Also check that the bolt moves freely with the door closed. A code handoff alone leaves a lot of room for confusion.

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  • Daniel Jung
    Member since 2026 · 29 posts · 9 votes
    3d

    What helped us most was turning this into a written turnover checklist instead of handling it from memory. We change the batteries at every turnover, delete every old code, then test the new tenant code, our maintenance code, and the physical key before anyone moves in. Each test gets checked off and dated. We keep one spare physical key in a labelled envelope and log who holds it. At move-in we write the tenant code on their checklist, show them the low battery warning once, and note that the physical key is the backup. That routine takes a few minutes and removes most lock worries later.

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  • Jim Johnson
    Real Estate Agent · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 583 posts · 344 votes
    3d

    A few things to consider:

    1. 1. Reset and access: Factory reset the lock, remove previous access, and rekey the physical cylinder. Give the new tenant their code securely at move-in rather than putting it in the lease.

    2. 2. Code management: If you're not planning to use the app or manage it remotely, make sure the tenant can change their own access code without needing you to visit every time. That depends on the lock model.

    3. 3. Physical key: Keep it as a backup and make sure the tenant knows how to use it, especially if the batteries die.

    The bigger question is whether you want to manage a smart lock at all. If you don't plan to use its features and don't want to deal with code changes, a standard keyed lock might be simpler for a long-term rental.

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  • Pal Sa
    OP
    Member since 2022 · 33 posts · 10 votes
    3d

    Thanks for your reply. I want to try new way of doing things as well.

    The reason I am hesitating to do code management remotely is about having visibility into entry and exit. I am not sure if there is an option to opt out of that data. I will find out from the model provider.

    I am curious why tenant should be able to change their code. Landlords do not allow tenant to rekey the physical key right. Why allow changing codes? Hmm. It is easily shareable unlike a physical key.

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  • Jaimee LaTorra
    Property Manager · Denver, CO · Member since 2026 · 4 posts · 1 vote
    2d

    Totally reasonable to skip the app if you don’t want visibility into comings and goings, I probably wouldn't. The thing that fixes your worry about a new code = another trip: most keypad locks let you pre-load a batch of codes at setup, so you can hand out a fresh one without driving out each time, or you pick a model that holds 20–30 offline codes. Working in property tech, the no-app setups landlords are happiest with are the ones where they loaded more codes than they thought they’d need up front. Also make sure you swap out batteries at each turnover so you don't have to deal with a dead battery lockout mid-lease!

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    • Pal Sa
      OP
      Member since 2022 · 33 posts · 10 votes
      1d

      Thank you. Good idea about loading more codes.

      One question.

      What if tenant says they want to invalidate a code because they shared it with guests because of convenience and later they want to revoke access by invalidating the code?

      I want to tell the tenants there is no such provision. But I want to know if there are better ways to deal with.

      0Reply
  • Pal Sa
    OP
    Member since 2022 · 33 posts · 10 votes
    1d

    Thanks for your reply. This coming from a lock smith is reassuring for me.

    It is easy to factory reset the clock and set the programming code to the one the lock came with. Anyone can just open the back cover and do factory reset. So keeping the programming code to myself does not seem practical. I can ask tenants to not reset the lock though.

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  • Divin KanyamaBusiness Member
    Accountant · Seattle, WA · Member since 2025 · 433 posts · 177 votes
    1d

    The overall approach sounds reasonable, @Pal Sa The first step is confirming that the lock can be fully transferred to the owner and removed from the prior tenant’s account. A factory reset, new master or programming code, fresh batteries, rekeyed cylinder, and test of every entry method should happen before move-in. It is also worth checking whether the lock’s basic keypad functions require Wi-Fi at all; many operate locally, while remote features depend on an app or hub.

    For a long-term rental, a simple policy is usually best: issue each household its own code through a dated move-in handoff form or secure message, keep the programming code private, provide physical keys, and document who is responsible for batteries and lockouts. Tenants should be allowed to request a code change, but the owner or manager can control the change so access records stay current. If remote management is not needed, leaving the lock offline may reduce privacy and cybersecurity concerns. The lease or addendum should explain that the keypad is a convenience, the physical key remains the backup, tenants may not reset or replace the lock without written approval, and management may change codes when legally permitted. Before relying on that language, have a local landlord-tenant attorney confirm notice, emergency-access, privacy, and lock-change requirements. If the lock cannot be cleanly transferred, supported, and managed without confusion, replacing it with a conventional lock may be the simpler option.

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  • Richard (Ryszard) Cieplechowicz
    Member since 2026 · 113 posts · 30 votes
    1d

    Smart locks work fine if you set them up right. Reset the codes and rekey between every tenant, and give each tenant their own code so you can see who came and went. Keep a physical key backup in case the battery dies or the wifi drops, and change the batteries on a schedule instead of waiting for the low-battery warning. Pick a model with a keypad and a real key override, not one that depends on an app alone.

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  • Leo SteinBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Orange County, CA · Member since 2025 · 108 posts · 30 votes
    5h

    Pal, staying out of the app is a workable path, plenty of owners run keypads that way. A few things I'd do. Buy a plain offline keypad with a real key override, so a dead battery never turns into a lockout call at 9 PM. Before you buy, read the manual on how a factory reset works, since you raised that worry. Some models need the master code or a cover screw removed first, and that detail should decide which model you pick. At move-in, set your own master code, write it down somewhere offline, and give the tenant a personal user code. Spell out in the lease addendum who controls the settings and that low-battery warnings get reported right away. Between tenants, delete the old user code and set a new one, and take a dated photo of the lock and keypad at turnover. Keep spare batteries on hand. Happy to compare notes by message.

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