Published 2026-10-01 · 12 min read

Best Smart Locks for Rental Properties (2026): A Landlord's Comparison

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General information only: this article is for educational purposes and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Product prices and features change — verify current pricing and specs before you buy, and check your local rules on lock changes and tenant notice.

Every turnover forces the same decision: pay a locksmith to rekey the locks, or find a cheaper way to make the old keys useless. A locksmith rekey runs roughly $75–$150 per lock, and you pay it at every turnover — plus emergency callouts when tenants lock themselves out. Over a few turnovers, those bills stack up fast.

Smart locks change the math: "rekeying" becomes deleting a code, which is free and instant. But not every smart lock belongs on a rental. A lock that's perfect for a homeowner can be a support nightmare with tenants. Here's how the best options for 2026 compare, judged specifically for rental use.

For the broader security picture — cameras, lighting, key control, and what your lease should say — see our rental property security and smart locks guide.

What Makes a Smart Lock Landlord-Friendly

Before the picks, the criteria. A rental lock needs to survive tenants, not impress tech reviewers:

• Tenant-proof operation. Tenants shouldn't need an app, an account, or a smartphone to get in. Keypad codes are the workhorse: they work for every age group and don't require anyone to install anything.
• Easy code management. You need to issue unique codes per tenant and delete them at move-out — ideally remotely, so you're not driving to the property for every turnover.
• Physical key backup. Batteries die. Electronics glitch. A lock with no physical key override turns a dead battery into a lockout call at midnight.
• Install reality. Retrofit locks (which mount over your existing deadbolt) install in minutes and keep the exterior unchanged — ideal when you don't want to change the door's appearance or you manage many units. Full-replacement deadbolts look cleaner but take more work per door.
• Wi-Fi vs. hub vs. Bluetooth. Remote code management needs connectivity. Built-in Wi-Fi is simplest but drains batteries faster; Bluetooth-only locks need someone nearby with the app; hub-based systems add hardware per property.

The Picks at a Glance

(Prices are typical street prices reported across 2026 roundups and deal listings — they move with sales, so verify before buying.)

August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen): Best Retrofit for Rentals

August's smart lock is the classic retrofit design: it mounts over your existing deadbolt on the interior side, so the exterior of the door looks unchanged and your existing physical keys keep working. That's a bigger deal for rentals than it sounds — you get remote code management without changing what the tenant sees or touches, and you always have a master physical key as a backup.

From your phone you can share permanent, temporary, and scheduled codes, see an entry log, and use auto-lock/auto-unlock. For self-showings and contractor access windows, issuing a time-limited code beats hiding a key under the mat or paying for a lockbox per property.

Why it wins for landlords: installation takes minutes per door with no change to the exterior hardware, tenants keep using a physical key as a backup (zero learning curve), and turnover "rekeying" is deleting a code from the app. Typical street price runs about $150–$200, which puts payback at roughly two locksmith rekeys.

The trade-offs: it's an interior-mounted device a tenant can see and potentially tamper with from inside, and because it drives your existing deadbolt, the underlying lock's physical security is whatever you already had. Batteries need periodic replacement — build a twice-a-year swap into your maintenance routine.

See the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock

Yale Assure Lock 2: Best All-Around Keypad Lock

The Yale Assure Lock 2 is the reviewers' consensus all-rounder for 2026: a full deadbolt replacement with a touchscreen keypad, backup physical key, and app control. Unlock methods include the keypad, the Yale Access app, a physical key, and auto-unlock when your phone is near. DoorSense detects whether the door is fully closed and can auto-lock after a set time.

For landlords, the standout features are per-code schedules and an activity feed that tracks who comes and goes — you can give each tenant a unique code, give the cleaner a code that only works Tuesday mornings, and see an entry log without being on site. It's BHMA Grade 2 certified, which is a meaningful physical-security credential most budget locks don't carry.

Typical street price runs about $170–$260 depending on the module configuration (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Z-Wave). Wi-Fi connectivity enables the remote management landlords want; just know that full replacement means a screwdriver install per door and a changed exterior appearance, which matters if you care about a uniform look across units.

Schlage Encode Plus: Best Build Quality (and Apple Households)

Schlage has been making deadbolts longer than smart locks have existed, and the Encode Plus shows it: a touchscreen deadbolt with built-in Wi-Fi (no hub), a traditional key backup, and notably Apple HomeKey support — tenants with an iPhone or Apple Watch can tap to enter. It also works with Alexa and Google Home.

For rentals, the appeal is durability and brand trust: Schlage's physical lock hardware is the benchmark most locksmiths compare against. The touchscreen keypad means no app required for tenants. Typical pricing runs about $230–$330 — the priciest pick here — so it's the choice when you want the toughest-feeling lock on the door and the budget to match.

The landlord caveats: you're paying a premium over locks that do the same core job (codes in, codes out), and full replacement changes the door's exterior. For most rentals, the Yale or August delivers the same turnover workflow for less.

Kwikset Halo: Best Budget Wi-Fi Deadbolt

Kwikset's Halo line is the value play: a Wi-Fi deadbolt with a keypad, app control, and a physical key backup, typically priced around $150–$200. It does the core landlord job — unique codes per tenant, remote management, no hub — at the lowest entry price of the full-replacement picks.

The trade-off versus Yale and Schlage is refinement: fewer premium touches, a less celebrated app, and less reviewer enthusiasm about long-term durability. But for a landlord outfitting many doors on a budget, the per-door savings add up fast — and the turnover workflow (delete code, issue new code) is identical.

The Rekey Math: When Smart Locks Pay Off

Run your own numbers with these baselines:

• Traditional rekey: ~$75–$150 per lock, per turnover, plus lockout callouts. See how turnovers compound in our turnover cost estimator.
• Smart lock: ~$150–$330 for the device, one time, plus installation (minutes for retrofit, longer for replacement) and batteries twice a year.

A keypad lock pays for itself in roughly one to two turnovers versus locksmith rekeying — and that's before counting avoided lockout calls. The math gets better the higher your turnover and the more doors you manage. If your tenants stay five years and you rarely rekey, a smart lock is a convenience purchase, not a savings play.

One cost people forget: the lock is only as good as its connectivity plan. A Wi-Fi lock at a vacant unit with no internet is a keypad-only lock until service is restored — fine for tenant entry, but you lose remote code changes. For vacant units, issue codes in person or keep a physical master key in a lockbox.

The Legal and Lease Side

A few things to get right before you install:

• Check local rules on lock changes. Some jurisdictions require landlord notice before changing locks, and a few regulate tenant lock changes too. This article is general information, not legal advice — verify your local requirements.
• Put it in the lease. Spell out that codes are issued per occupant, that tenants may not share or duplicate access, who to call when locked out, and who's responsible if a tenant ignores low-battery warnings. Our security guide covers lease language in more depth.
• Entry logs are data. If your lock records who comes and goes, that log can become evidence — in a dispute, or in a request you don't want to deal with. Decide your retention approach up front and disclose the logging to tenants.
• Don't lock out a tenant over a dispute. Changing codes or disabling access to pressure a tenant over rent or lease issues can be treated as an illegal lockout in many states. Access control is for turnover and security, never for leverage.

Verdict: Which Lock for Which Landlord?

Choose the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock when: you want the fastest install across many doors, you like keeping the existing deadbolt and physical keys as backup, and remote code management is the whole point. See the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock.

Choose the Yale Assure Lock 2 when: you want the best all-around keypad deadbolt — scheduled codes, entry logs, solid physical security credentials — and don't mind a full replacement install.

Choose the Schlage Encode Plus when: build quality is the priority, your tenants are iPhone-heavy (HomeKey is genuinely convenient), and the ~$230–$330 price doesn't faze you.

Choose the Kwikset Halo when: you're outfitting many doors on a budget and want the core code-management workflow at the lowest per-door price.

Stick with traditional rekeying when: turnover is rare, tenants stay for years, and you'd rather pay the locksmith occasionally than manage batteries and apps. There's no shame in the simple option — the smart lock math only wins when turnover makes rekeying expensive.

For the full security picture beyond locks — cameras, lighting, key control, and post-break-in steps — our rental property security guide covers it all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will tenants actually use a smart lock, or will they just prop the door? Keypad models see high compliance because there's nothing to install and no phone required — tenants punch in a code like they've done at offices and gyms for years. Retrofit models like August are even easier since the physical key still works as a fallback.

What happens when the batteries die? You get low-battery warnings first — through the app, and usually on the lock itself. If ignored, most locks have a physical key override or emergency power contacts. Keep a master key in a lockbox and put battery responsibility in the lease.

Do smart locks need Wi-Fi at the property? Only for remote management. Keypad entry works without any connectivity. But if you want to issue or delete codes from your couch, the lock needs Wi-Fi (built-in or via hub) or Bluetooth with someone nearby running the app.

Can a former tenant's code be reused after they move out? Delete it and issue a fresh code — that's the entire point. Never recycle codes between tenants; a unique code per occupant plus an entry log is the audit trail a physical key can never give you.

Are smart locks allowed on rentals, or do I need to check local rules? Rules vary by jurisdiction — some require notice before lock changes, and a few have specific provisions about electronic locks. Check your local requirements before installing, and disclose the lock and any entry logging in the lease.

Should I tell tenants the lock records entry times? Yes. Disclose it in the lease, explain what the log is used for (security and turnover management), and decide how long you keep the data. Surprises about monitoring destroy tenant trust faster than almost anything else.

What's the payback period versus paying a locksmith? Typically one to two turnovers. At ~$75–$150 per locksmith rekey versus ~$150–$330 for a device, a rental that turns over annually breaks even in the first or second year — faster if you count avoided lockout callouts.