Electronic Door Locks

[Elise28]

I don't live near my rental unit and would love to put an electronic lock on the door; one that I can change the codes from my devices.  Has anyone had any experience with these?

[Carolyn136]

Hello I need some advice. I have 3 doors for the front, back and garage. After parking the car you have to exit the garage door and enter the back door. Do I need to put smart locks on all 3 doors? How is code management on this going to be? Or do I just put smart locks on the front and back and keep regular key for garage door? Garage door and back door is kitty corner next to each other.

[Donna230]

What happens on these electronic locks if your Wi-Fi is down or the power is out?  I need a remote solution with management control but I'm afraid that it will leave a guest locked out on occasion.

[Cedric52]

I depends on what you get. Most locks are battery powered and have their own Bluetooth, which is independent of Wi-Fi. No Wi-Fi just disables your ability to remotely unlock it from, say, your phone while you're 5000 km away. 

[Rene-and-Zac0]

I have the Schlage with Z wave and it has a battery pack. @Donna230

[Donna230]

Thank you so much.  There are so many choices!

[Elise28]

Donna - I get notified (by Lock State) when the WiFi goes out - and then again when it goes back on.  If someone already has a code, it will still work.   Power outage doesn't affect it at all.

I just can't create new codes when the Wifi is out.  It has AA batteries in it - but they last a long time, and I can SEE what the power level of the batteries is at when I log into my account - so I always know if the battery is running low.  I have my cleaning lady change the batteries when it gets below 50%.   

As I said to someone else above, I keep a lock box outside on my patio JUST IN CASE and it keeps me from worrying about something going wrong.

[Greg27]

Hello Lock Experts: I'm looking for an electronic double cylinder door knob lock for an outside iron bar gate. I need to be able to lock and unlock from both sides because someone can reach through the gate and manipulate the "inside" door knob and latch/lock. I've searched the Internet quite thoroughly, but have not located one so I'd appreciate any reference and advice. Thank you, Greg

[Matthew285]

@Greg27 that is a tough one. Double cylinder door knob locks are less common, so it seems the smart lock manufacturers have not prioritized making this type of lock. (I even could only find one smart double cylinder deadbolt, which is a little more common.)

Would it be possible to modify your gate so that it prevents someone from reaching in and manipulating the inside door knob? I know around here every gate has some sort of physical barrier that prevents "reach around" unlocks. (Ours uses a combination of narrowly spaced bars and a deep metal ring-wall around the inside mechanism.)

[Greg27]

Thanks for your suggestion, Matthew. I'm going to first see if I can locate a bluetooth electronic lock with an inside turning latch that I can remove.

[Madhura0]

We have been using smart locks for years at our home and various properties along with SmartThings. There are three big names in the market, Kiwkset, Schlage and Yale. Schlage and Yale are excellent ones, two of the ones we like the most:

Yale:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HS1O77G

Schlage:

https://www.amazon.com/Schlage-Connect-Touchscreen-Deadbolt-SmartThings/dp/B00AGK9KOG

We prefer the Yale locks since they have better  battery life. The Schlage Connect locks have a few more security features which we use in our house but for the rental property, we prefer the Yale lock which has all the features we need and it's very reliable. Schlage is also pretty good overall just remember to change the batteries at about 50%.

We have been using them with SmartThings to program users remotely using RBoy Apps. For years we have been using their lock code user management app which allowed us to manually program the users and set start / end dates so we could program this weeks/months ahead and forget about it. It would automatically activate the user codes and then delete them when the stay was over.

Now we are using Rental Lock Automater (RLA) that automatically connects to the airbnb property calendar, schedules the users and even sends them a customized text message, we can't say enough good things about this app. Basically it's completely hands off user management for us. 

I just love how reliable and comprehensive this app is it's been competely bliss for us especially with peak season coming up. All you need is a SmartThings hub, a Yale, Schlage or Kwikset lock (I recommend Yale or Schlage) and a repeater ($15-$20) depending on how far the lock is from the hub and the RLA app.

They also have a low battery app to inform us when the lock battery needs to be changed (about once in 4-5 months). I mean that's pretty much it, just change the batteries and it does the rest!

The RLA is part of their commercial license apps, they charge a one time fee (we got the lifetime license with free updates) and no annual fees. You can check them out at http://smartthings.rboyapps.com

[Kris1]

Dido about the RBoy Apps Rental Lock Automater - it's awesome. 

I use the Schlage BE369NX with with SmartThings and the RBoy Apps Rental Lock Automater. A code is automatically generated based on the user's phone number. It's been amazing so far!

[Kim584]

Piling on, we also use rboy's Rental Lock Automater.  I literally do nothing for door lock codes now.  It's 100% handled by their automation, and I just make sure my instructions are rock solid and clear to the guests.

http://smartthings.rboyapps.com/

[Madhura0]

An update on my experience with RLA. Rboy Apps has officially released an updated version the Rental Lock Automater app (RLA)

I had been given a preview version some time ago and it's been awesome! I've set it to turn on the thermostats about an hour before the renters check in and turn then off at check out. Our last utility bill was down and I no longer have to manage my thermostats manually anymore :). That was the one thing that was missing earlier and RLA just does it all for me now. It schedules the renters, messages them their codes, activates/deactivates the codes, handles check in and check out (it even has a neat little option to turn on the porch lights if the renters check late in the evening) and also disarms the security when renters use their code to unlock the main door. Just make sure you have clear instructions in your text message and in the house for your renters.

Our next project is connecting our patio door to RLA using a keypad to lock/unlock it.

I'm just completely in love with RLA!

They don't send our mass mailers unfortunately so you need to follow their Facebook to get updates.

https://www.facebook.com/RBoySTApps

If you're looking into home automation, smart locks and automating AirBnB rentals, I don't think there's any solution which will give the kind of flexibility and capabilities that SmartThings provides. It's almost limitless the number of cheap/cost effective projects you can do to remotely manage your property and lower operating costs. RLA is the icing on the cake which handles the entire rental reservation and automation process but there's a lot more to you can do with SmartThings.

You can pretty much do most of it yourself in a day or two (depending on the level of automation, most of it's retro fitting things like thermostats, switches, valves, sensors and locks) or hire a handyman. Just a certain peace of mind that if something happens there's a safety backup in there to inform me and even take action.

Something simple like water sensors in the laundry room and boiler closet which triggers the main water valve to shut off, YES - it had it triggered due to a leaking boiler and it saved me a ton of money. The entire project took my spouse an hour to install it and cost us under a $100 with a the 2 z-wave water sensors and a z-wave valve controller which sits on top of the exiting water valve (no plumbing required).

[Gail241]

These may be dumb question but when the RLA sends out lock codes to guests by syncing with the Airbnb calendar, does it also tell YOU the code it's given out in case they lose it somehow? And is there ongoing tracking reported to you through the app of everyone who opens the lock and the code they used so you can keep track of who else comes and goes - cleaners and handymen?

I keep looking at the all-digital locks and wondering - what if they malfunction? I'm leaning toward ones that can also take a key. Am I just being paranoid? My Airbnb,-  I have a house I'm just starting to renovate that will be my first one - is in a very rainy climate. Any chance the Yale lock will short out or malfunction due to moisture?

Also, I have a duplex - if i plugged the smart things hub into the dividing wall between the two units and had a repeater on each side, do you think the smart hub would work for both units?

Thank you!