Smart locks and keypads, explained
Keyless entry has become the default way into many rented flats. Understanding how the lock in front of you works makes it much less intimidating.
The main types
- Keypad locks: you type a code on the door. Many work entirely offline, with codes stored in the lock itself.
- Bluetooth smart locks: you unlock with an app on your phone, standing close to the door. Some also accept a code or a card.
- Connected smart locks: linked to the internet through Wi-Fi or a small bridge, so the host can create codes, see when the door was used and help remotely.
- Retrofit locks: devices fitted over an existing lock on the inside of the door, common in buildings where the outside of the door cannot be changed.
Why your code only works at certain times
Most hosts set codes that are valid from check-in time to check-out time. It is a security feature: the code you receive cannot be used before your stay or after it. If a code does not work, the first thing to check is the time. Arriving early often means waiting for the code to become active, unless the host changes it.
Batteries and back-ups
Almost all smart locks run on batteries, and give warnings well before they run out. Many also have an emergency option: a mechanical key, or contacts where a battery can be held to power the keypad. As a guest, if the keypad seems dead, contact the host rather than forcing anything. As a host, change batteries on a schedule, not when the warning appears.
What happens when the internet drops
Keypad locks that store codes locally keep working without internet. Connected locks usually keep the codes already sent to them, but new codes may not reach the lock until the connection returns. Hosts should load codes well before arrival, not minutes before.
Building doors are the weak point
A flat with a smart lock often sits behind a building door that still needs a key, a fob or an intercom. Many check-in problems happen there, not at the flat itself. Good instructions explain each door separately, with a photo.
Privacy and access logs
Connected locks record when the door was opened and with which code. That is useful for security and for confirming arrivals and departures. Hosts should use those logs for that purpose only, and say in the listing that the lock records entries.
Good practice for hosts
- One unique code per stay, active only during the stay.
- Instructions with photos of each door and of the keypad.
- A tested mechanical back-up and a contact available at arrival times.
- A habit of checking battery levels before each arrival.