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Smart locks for apartment doors
Updated
Look at your lock before you look at smart locks. If your apartment door has a normal deadbolt above a separate knob or handle, you have options, and a retrofit lock like the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock can keep your key working. If it has one tall lock body set into the door edge, a mortise lock, the makers we checked say their smart locks will not fit.
Find your lock type in one minute
| What you see | What it likely is | Smart lock options |
|---|---|---|
| A deadbolt with a thumb turn inside, and a knob or handle below it | Single cylinder deadbolt | Retrofit locks and most smart deadbolts |
| A deadbolt with a keyhole on both sides | Double cylinder deadbolt | Not the August. See double cylinder doors |
| One tall plate on the door edge, handle and deadbolt in one unit | Mortise lock | Not the August or the Yale locks, per their support pages |
| Only one hole, a handle with a key in it | Handleset or keyed lever, no deadbolt | A lever style smart lock, not a deadbolt |
August's support page says its smart locks only fit single cylinder deadbolts, and lists mortise locks and double cylinder deadbolts as not compatible. Yale's support page says a mortise prepped door is not compatible with its locks.
The smart lock that keeps your key
People search for a smart lock that keeps the key they already have. That is a retrofit lock. The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock fits over the inside of a single cylinder deadbolt and turns it with a motor. The outside of the door and every copy of the key stay the same. For an apartment that matters, because the building manager's key still works.
The caveats are real. There is no keypad unless you buy one. August's own FAQ says up to 3 months of battery with WiFi on, and owners report less in some homes. And it only works as well as the deadbolt it turns. Do the free throw check first.
If you can swap the whole deadbolt
With written permission, a full smart deadbolt gives you a keypad. Measure first. The common size is 1-3/8 to 1-3/4 inches thick, a 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inch backset and a 2-1/8 inches hole. Older buildings do not always match. Our fit checker compares your numbers with the listings.
- Schlage Encode: listed for doors 1-3/8 to 1-3/4 inches. Good for a standard door. Caveat: Apple Home is not named on the listing.
- eufy C220: fingerprint and keypad, and the listing says no drilling. Caveat: owners report battery life well below the claim.
Apartment specific questions
- Metal fire doors. Many apartment entry doors are metal. Ask your manager before you change anything on them.
- WiFi at the door. Hallway doors can be far from your router. A weak signal drains WiFi locks faster. See smart locks without WiFi.
- Move out. Keep every original part. Our renters guide has a move-out list.
Lock rules in rentals differ by state and lease. This is general information, not legal or security advice. Get your landlord's yes in writing. Compare all seven locks on our shortlist.