4 ms·

There are many issues with smart locks, but one thing I'm quite interested by are the entry policies you could set. As a renter, two things spring to mind: the

There are many issues with smart locks, but one thing I'm quite interested by are the entry policies you could set. As a renter, two things spring to mind: the ability to immediately remove previous tenants access to the home, and the ability to potentially enforce the legal notice period for the landlord entering the home (in the UK a landlord must provide 24 hours notice before entering).

jakobegger 8y ago
> the ability to immediately remove previous tenants access to the home This has a massive potential for abuse. Imagine if your landlord could just take away access to your appartment remotely whenever they want.
handzbagz1 8y ago
But that would be managed by the letting agent who would have to impose access limits on themselves and people just aren't good at imposing limits that apply to themselves.
sc11 8y ago
> the ability to immediately remove previous tenants access to the home This doesn't really require a smart lock. In Germany it's common to replace the lock immediately once you rent a place and put the original lock back in when you move out. This prevents the landlord, previous tenants and whoever else might still have keys from entering without your permission.
- gmueckl 8y ago
  Unless the landlord does it, this is actually illegal as far as I know. The locks are property of the landlord and they have a right to enter the apartment under certain circumstances (previously announced visit, danger, ...).
  - Faaak 8y ago
    No it is not. The locks are the property of the landlord, but their usage is not. You can change the locks at the only condition that you put them back afterwards.
- londons_explore 8y ago
  Replacing locks is typically very expensive unless you have the expertise to do it yourself though? One can easily pay £500 ($700 USD) to change the locks on a home in the UK.
  - thrower123 8y ago
    I think it would really depend on the type of the locks. Standard door handles and deadbolts cost on the order of $20 apiece, and only require a phillips screwdriver and maybe 10 minutes to change.
    - TeMPOraL 8y ago
      Seconding. In Poland, about the only issue changing a standard lock is the hassle of going to a shop and buying one. As far as I can tell, most anti-break-in doors here have a modular locks too, allowing you to replace just the auth and bolt-actuating mechanisms.
  - sc11 8y ago
    Typical apartment door locks are very easy to change yourself, at least the kind that's most common here. Requires some relatively simple measurements and screwing in/out a few screws. Hiring someone to do it costs ~150-200€ (130-175£), lock excluded. This guide has an illustration: https://www.obi.de/magazin/bauen/tuerschloss-wechseln https://www.obi.de/magazin/bauen/tuerschloss-wechseln (text is German but the pictures show everything) Perhaps in the UK different kinds of locks that are harder to change are more common?
  - klodolph 8y ago
    That is very expensive. In NYC I paid less than $700 to have a high-quality lock drilled out and replaced with a new high-quality lock after hours when I locked myself out. The technician broke two drill bits removing the old lock and it took an hour. When I replaced my locks at a previous apartment I paid $40 for the new lock and installed it with a single screwdriver in 15 minutes. Multiply that by 2 if you have a house with two exterior doors. Multiply again by 2 if you want nicer locks.
  - 8y ago
r3bl 8y ago
You don't need a smart lock for the second one, a cheap indoor camera that can send you alerts achieves the same. An even simpler solution is a spare Android running Haven[0] (I don't know if Edward Snowden actually created it, but he's usually associated with it). As a tenant (and a hotel guest) I've used both of these methods over the years. Granted, I've never lived in a home that has a smart lock, but I know I would feel much safer using my own hardware for the purpose. [0] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.havenapp.main https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.havenapp.m...

jakobegger 8y ago

> the ability to immediately remove previous tenants access to the home This has a massive potential for abuse. Imagine if your landlord could just take away access to your appartment remotely whenever they want.

handzbagz1 8y ago

But that would be managed by the letting agent who would have to impose access limits on themselves and people just aren't good at imposing limits that apply to themselves.

sc11 8y ago

> the ability to immediately remove previous tenants access to the home This doesn't really require a smart lock. In Germany it's common to replace the lock immediately once you rent a place and put the original lock back in when you move out. This prevents the landlord, previous tenants and whoever else might still have keys from entering without your permission.

gmueckl 8y ago
Unless the landlord does it, this is actually illegal as far as I know. The locks are property of the landlord and they have a right to enter the apartment under certain circumstances (previously announced visit, danger, ...).
- Faaak 8y ago
  No it is not. The locks are the property of the landlord, but their usage is not. You can change the locks at the only condition that you put them back afterwards.
londons_explore 8y ago
Replacing locks is typically very expensive unless you have the expertise to do it yourself though? One can easily pay £500 ($700 USD) to change the locks on a home in the UK.
- thrower123 8y ago
  I think it would really depend on the type of the locks. Standard door handles and deadbolts cost on the order of $20 apiece, and only require a phillips screwdriver and maybe 10 minutes to change.
  - TeMPOraL 8y ago
    Seconding. In Poland, about the only issue changing a standard lock is the hassle of going to a shop and buying one. As far as I can tell, most anti-break-in doors here have a modular locks too, allowing you to replace just the auth and bolt-actuating mechanisms.
- sc11 8y ago
  Typical apartment door locks are very easy to change yourself, at least the kind that's most common here. Requires some relatively simple measurements and screwing in/out a few screws. Hiring someone to do it costs ~150-200€ (130-175£), lock excluded. This guide has an illustration: https://www.obi.de/magazin/bauen/tuerschloss-wechseln https://www.obi.de/magazin/bauen/tuerschloss-wechseln (text is German but the pictures show everything) Perhaps in the UK different kinds of locks that are harder to change are more common?
- klodolph 8y ago
  That is very expensive. In NYC I paid less than $700 to have a high-quality lock drilled out and replaced with a new high-quality lock after hours when I locked myself out. The technician broke two drill bits removing the old lock and it took an hour. When I replaced my locks at a previous apartment I paid $40 for the new lock and installed it with a single screwdriver in 15 minutes. Multiply that by 2 if you have a house with two exterior doors. Multiply again by 2 if you want nicer locks.
- 8y ago

r3bl 8y ago

You don't need a smart lock for the second one, a cheap indoor camera that can send you alerts achieves the same. An even simpler solution is a spare Android running Haven[0] (I don't know if Edward Snowden actually created it, but he's usually associated with it). As a tenant (and a hotel guest) I've used both of these methods over the years. Granted, I've never lived in a home that has a smart lock, but I know I would feel much safer using my own hardware for the purpose. [0] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.havenapp.main https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.havenapp.m...