Published 2026-10-01 · 11 min read

August vs Schlage Encode for Rental Properties (2026): Smart Lock Showdown

Affiliate disclosure: we're an August affiliate via Yazing — signing up through our links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Read our full affiliate disclosure for how that works.

General information only: this article is for educational purposes and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Prices change frequently — verify current pricing on each product's page before you buy. Check your state and local laws before changing locks or lock-access policies at a rental.

Every tenant turnover forces the same decision: rekey the locks or risk the old tenant's keys floating around. A traditional rekey costs $75–$150 per door each time you do it — and across a portfolio, that recurring bill adds up fast. Smart locks replace the rekey with a tap: change the code or revoke the digital key when a tenant moves out, and the old access dies instantly.

Two locks dominate the landlord conversation in 2026: the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen) and the Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt. They solve the same problem from opposite directions. August retrofits onto your existing deadbolt — nothing changes on the outside of the door. Schlage replaces the entire deadbolt with a keypad unit built for heavy use. Here's how they compare for rental properties, with pricing verified as of fall 2026.

At a Glance: August vs Schlage Encode

Both include auto-lock, door-status sensing, activity history, and remote lock/unlock from anywhere with Wi-Fi. Neither requires a subscription. The decision comes down to install philosophy, how your tenants actually enter, and battery logistics across a portfolio.

August Wi-Fi Smart Lock: The Invisible Upgrade

August takes the retrofit approach: the lock installs on the inside of your door in about 10 minutes with a screwdriver, fitting over most standard single-cylinder deadbolts. The outside of the door doesn't change at all — your existing deadbolt, keyway, and curb appeal stay exactly as they are. Check current August pricing — the 4th Gen model lists at $229.99 but routinely sells in the $150–$185 range.

For landlords, the killer feature is digital key management. Instead of cutting keys, you send a tenant a digital key from the August app — permanent for the lease term, scheduled for a contractor's Tuesday visit, or temporary for a showing. When the tenant moves out, you revoke the key. No rekey, no locksmith visit, no wondering how many copies exist. Auto-Unlock (phone-location based) and Auto-Lock with DoorSense mean the door secures itself when closed — handy for tenants who forget.

The trade-offs are real. First, there's no keypad on the lock itself — entry is by phone app, auto-unlock, or the physical key you kept. A separate August keypad accessory (~$60–$80) adds code entry if you want it, which narrows the price gap with Schlage. Second, battery life: two CR123 batteries typically last 3–6 months with heavy use, and CR123s aren't the AAs you keep in a junk drawer — you'll want a small stockpile per property. Third, August inherits whatever deadbolt it's mounted on; it doesn't upgrade the physical security of a cheap lock.

August's sweet spot is the landlord who wants the fastest possible install, zero change to the door's exterior (great for HOAs with appearance rules or historic properties), and app-based access management. Our best smart locks for rental property roundup covers it alongside the other contenders.

Schlage Encode: The Keypad Workhorse

The Schlage Encode replaces your entire deadbolt with a unit that has a built-in touchscreen keypad — the feature landlords ask about most. Tenants punch in a code; no app, no phone, no Bluetooth pairing required. That matters more than it sounds: not every tenant wants (or can run) a smart-lock app, and a keypad works for kids, guests, dog walkers, and the handyman who still carries a flip phone. It also keeps a physical key backup, so a dead battery never means a lockout — just the key.

Code management is built for turnover: up to 100 access codes, each schedulable (e.g., active only during the lease term, or Tuesdays 9–5 for the cleaner), all managed from the Schlage Home app with full lock/unlock history and push notifications. When a tenant leaves, delete the code. When the next one arrives, create a new one. The rekey is now a 30-second task you do from your couch.

Hardware-wise, the Encode carries ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 certification — the highest residential rating for security, durability, and finish — from a brand locksmiths have trusted for a century. Four AA batteries typically last 6–12 months, roughly double the August's real-world life, and AAs are cheap and everywhere. Built-in Wi-Fi means no hub. The step-up Encode Plus (~$320–$400) adds Apple Home Key tap-to-unlock for iPhone/Apple Watch households.

The downsides: it's a full deadbolt replacement, so install takes longer (still a screwdriver job, typically 20–30 minutes, but you're removing the old lock), and the exterior of the door visibly changes — check HOA rules first. At ~$250–$300 street price, it costs $50–$100 more per door than a sale-priced August, before you add August's keypad accessory.

Head to Head for a Rental Property

Turnover workflow: the real cost comparison

This is where both locks earn their keep. A traditional rekey runs $75–$150 per door per turnover. At one turnover a year, a $200 smart lock pays for itself in under two years — and from then on, each turnover's "rekey" is free. Both locks handle this well: August via revoking digital keys, Schlage via deleting codes.

The practical difference is who does the work. With August, the incoming tenant needs the app installed and a digital key accepted — a five-minute onboarding you (or your lease-signing checklist) must walk them through. With Schlage, you text them a code. For self-managing landlords with high tenant tech variance, the keypad's zero-onboarding entry is meaningfully simpler. Our move-out inspection checklist is a good place to wire the code-change into your existing turnover routine.

Tenant experience: keypad vs phone

Schlage wins this category for rentals. A keypad is universal — it works for every tenant on day one, no app, no account, no phone compatibility questions. August's phone-based entry is elegant for tech-comfortable tenants and genuinely convenient (auto-unlock as you walk up), but it creates a support burden: app installs, Bluetooth permissions, battery-optimization settings that kill background unlocking on some Android phones. If you manage remotely and can't do in-person onboarding, Schlage's keypad removes an entire category of "I can't get in" calls. Add the August keypad accessory and the gap closes — but so does the price advantage.

Install and property constraints

August wins on install speed and flexibility: 10 minutes, no exterior change, works with the deadbolt you already have. That's decisive for HOA-governed properties, historic buildings, or doors where you don't want to touch the existing hardware. Schlage requires replacing the deadbolt — a bigger job, and a visible exterior change. On the other hand, Schlage's Grade 1 hardware is a genuine security upgrade over a worn builder-grade deadbolt, while August is only as strong as what's already on the door. Check our rental property security and smart locks guide for the broader picture.

Batteries and maintenance across a portfolio

Schlage's 4× AA batteries lasting 6–12 months is the lower-maintenance option — set a twice-yearly battery reminder and you're done. August's CR123s at 3–6 months mean more frequent swaps and a less common battery to stock. Across ten doors, that's the difference between a semiannual errand and a quarterly one. Both apps warn you before batteries die, and both keep working with the physical key as backup — but only if you (and the tenant) have that key accessible. Pro tip: the "tenant locked out because the smart lock died" scenario belongs in your emergency maintenance playbook before it happens, not after.

Remote management and integrations

Both offer remote lock/unlock, activity history, and notifications over Wi-Fi with no hub and no subscription. August edges ahead on smart-home breadth (Alexa, Google, Apple Home, SmartThings) and its guest-access model is more flexible for short, scheduled windows — nice for showings and contractors. Schlage's app is narrower but focused: codes, schedules, history, done. For pure rental management, Schlage's simplicity is a feature; for a tech-heavy smart-home landlord, August integrates further.

The Verdict: Which Should a Landlord Buy?

Buy the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock if you want the fastest install with zero change to the door's exterior, you're comfortable onboarding tenants to an app, and you catch it on sale (~$150–$185). It's the cheapest path to killing the rekey bill, and the digital-key model is genuinely elegant for contractor and showing access. Check current August pricing.

Buy the Schlage Encode if your tenants vary in tech comfort, you want a keypad on day one with no accessories, you value Grade 1 hardware and AA-battery longevity, or you manage remotely and want the lowest possible support burden. The ~$250–$300 price buys the most tenant-proof entry method in the category.

The honest summary: August is the better gadget, Schlage is the better rental appliance. For most landlords, the keypad wins — the lock that every tenant can use without a tutorial is the lock that generates the fewest midnight calls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do smart locks eliminate rekeying between tenants? Effectively, yes. Revoke the old tenant's digital key (August) or delete their code (Schlage) and their access ends immediately. Many landlords still do a periodic physical rekey every few years as belt-and-suspenders, but the per-turnover locksmith visit goes away.

Can tenants change or share the code without telling me? Not on either lock unless you give them admin access — and you shouldn't. Both locks let the owner create and revoke codes/keys from the app while tenants get user-level access only. Write this into the lease: no lock changes or code sharing without written approval.

What happens when the batteries die? Both apps send low-battery warnings well in advance. If batteries fully die, the physical key still works on both (August keeps your original deadbolt keyway; Schlage includes a key backup). Keep a spare key in a lockbox as the failsafe.

What if the Wi-Fi goes down? Both locks still operate locally — keypad codes and the August app-over-Bluetooth keep working without internet. You just lose remote control and notifications until Wi-Fi returns. Scheduled codes already programmed into the Schlage continue to work offline.

Is the August keypad accessory worth it? If your tenants aren't reliably app-savvy, yes — it converts August's main weakness into parity with Schlage. But at ~$60–$80 added to a $150–$185 lock, you're at $210–$265 total, which erases most of the price gap to the Encode. Price the bundle before you decide.

Can I install these myself, or do I need a locksmith? Both are DIY with a screwdriver: ~10 minutes for August (retrofit), ~20–30 minutes for Schlage (full replacement). No wiring, no drilling on a standard pre-bored door. If your door isn't standard, measure backset and thickness first — both brands publish compatibility guides.

Are smart locks legal on rentals in my state? Generally yes, but lock-change rules vary: some states require tenant consent or written notice before changing locks, and lockouts (even accidental, via dead batteries) can create liability. Check your state and local rules, put smart-lock terms in the lease, and keep a working physical-key backup. This article is general information, not legal advice.

For the full field beyond these two, see our best smart locks for rental property roundup.