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There’s a lot of options when it comes to setting up your property so that it is just right. From choosing the right flooring to the proper windows, landlords have a lot of choices to make.
One area that you might not realize has as many options are door locks. Not only will having the right door lock in place make it easier for you to get in and out of the property, but this is also something that your tenant will be using every single day. Choosing the best door locks for a rental property, it seems, is more important than you might have realized before.
Let’s take a look at the best Landlord Locks and other door locks for rental properties.
A Table of Contents of Door Locks For Rental Properties
- Why You Need The Right Door Locks
- Kwikset Smart Keys
- Keypad Locks
- Landlord Locks
- Choosing The Best Door Locks For Your Property
Why You Need The Right Door Locks
Before we get too deep into specific types of door locks, let’s talk about why you need to have the right hardware. When renting, locks do more than just hold a door shut. They also affect how you come in and out, and they can make your tenant’s day easier or more secure than ever before.
Have you ever had a tenant that just didn’t seem quite right when they left your property? Perhaps they gave you back five keys when you only gave them three to begin with – indicating that they made some extra copies without your knowledge.
While you can avoid having sketchy tenants by using a qualified screening service, you are still going to need to rekey and change out your door locks from time to time. The right door locks will make that process easier!
Here are a few more reasons why investing in a smarter or newer door lock might be a great idea when making changes to your properties:
- Make it easy to allow/revoke access
- Secure the property
- Durability – how long does the lock last?
- Offer unique features depending on the type of lock
The last point might be one that is both interesting and confusing to you as a landlord – what can a lock do for your property that is dependent on the specific lock type?
Let’s find out together as we move through some of the best door lock options on the market for landlords like you.
Kwikset Smart Keys
Kwikset Smart Keys are a specific type of lock that makes it very easy to rekey your locks yourself. This means that when you have a tenant move out or some other change occurs, you can easily reset the locks to be new without needing to pay a locksmith or buy all new locks.
With the Kwikset system, you simply need one copy of the functioning key, the learning tool which comes with the system, and a new key. By inserting the key and then the learning tool, you can effectively “wipe” the memory of the lock. Then, inserting a new key will “teach” the lock what the new key will be.
That sounds pretty simple, right? Once you learn how to do this process, it will take you less than five minutes to easily rekey any lock. All you need to purchase is new keys, and that might be a very appealing change.
This type of key system is ideal for landlords who rent to people for medium- to long-term lease periods. You will likely want to rekey any property once someone has had access to the keys for six or more months, but you will not want to have to replace the entire lock.
If you have tenants switching more quickly than that, however, you might find that even doing this process every few months is too much of a hassle. If that’s the case for your property, you may want to try one of the other types of locks we will talk about below.
Keypad Locks
Another option that many landlords are turning to these days are keypad locks.
Keypad locks are a type of lock that uses a keypad, usually with numbers on it, to secure the door. To open the door, you simply type in the appropriate code and then you can open the door. Depending on the specific type of keypad lock that you use, you may also be able to use a key with the door if you need to.
Keypad locks are great for reducing lockouts because it is not possible for tenants to lose the key. Additionally, many keypad locks allow for more than one passcode to be functional at a time. This means that even if your tenant locks themselves out, you can provide them with a backup code to gain entry.
Keypad locks also lock the door automatically behind you, which means that you do not have to worry about your tenants forgetting to lock the door when they leave. You can be sure that the property is secure when the door is closed.
Additionally, there is a huge range of features available depending on what type of keypad lock you invest in. Some offer a record of which codes are used. Others allow you to schedule certain times when the code can or cannot be used, which can be handy for showing your property.
This type of lock can work well for any property, but landlords who rent out property in multi-dwelling settings tend to favor this type of lock over others. It’s also a good choice for properties that aren’t very close to you since you can often manage the digital access codes off-location with relative ease.
Landlord Locks
Finally, let’s talk about a specific brand of locks that is becoming more and more popular for landlords: Landlord Locks.
This type of lock looks a lot like a standard door handle and lock when you first look at it, but it has a few unique and hidden characteristics that you might find appealing.
Landlord Locks have a replaceable and easily changeable inner cylinder. This cylinder can be replaced with a backup version that has a new key, and then the old cylinder can either be rotated to another property or sent back to the brand for rekeying for a small fee.
But that’s not the only great thing about these locks. Another thing that landlords like is that all of the lock sets that you order will be linked to your accounts master key. That means that you as the landlord will have one key that can open all of your properties when needed. Doesn’t that sound convenient?
Of course, there are some concerns that come along with this convenience. Is it really safe to have one key that can make entry possible to all of your properties? What happens if someone else has a master key, too? Landlord Locks assures landlords that they will not send out a similar master key in your geographical region, but it’s normal to worry about these things.
These locks are ideal for landlords who own up to 20 properties and want a simple yet affordable way to change out their locks when needed. By purchasing a few sets and a few backups, you’ll be able to do this with ease thanks to the Landlord Locks system.
Choosing The Best Door Locks For Your Property
Ultimately, you will have to be the one to decide what lock solution is the right one for your properties. Depending on the type of properties that you own, who needs access to those properties, and how often you change tenants, you’ll find that one of these types of locks probably makes more sense than the others.
Checking out a brief set of pros and cons for each lock type might help you to make your final choice.
Kwikset Smart Keys
Pros:
- Easy to rekey yourself
- Can have a master key
- Looks and works like a traditional lock
Cons
- Cost may be prohibitive
- Lock mechanism can wear out over time
Keypad Locks
Pros:
- Can set digital codes
- Can manage even if not local
- Prevents lockouts
- Locks automatically
Cons
- Not all tenants will like keyless method
- Needs power source
Landlord Locks
Pros:
- All your lock sets have one master key
- Easy to change out cylinder
- Affordable to have cylinders rekeyed
Cons
- Larger upfront investment
- Need to replace existing locks to match master key
For even more in depth information on the best lock to use for rental properties, check out this video:
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of different renting locks that you can use to secure your properties.
Some of them make life easier for you while others focus on making things easier for the tenant. Regardless of what type of lock that you choose, you can be sure that these locks will make the process of rekeying and taking care of your properties easier than ever.
Choose the best landlord locks that:
- Makes sense for your property type
- Fits your budget
- You understand best
By getting the right locks for your situation, you’ll find that the prospect of dealing with locks when one tenant leaves will no longer make you stressed!