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How should a landlord manage smart lock codes and access logs in a rental?

DoorKeeping team

4 min read

Give every vendor and helper their own temporary code, never share the master code, change the tenant's code at move-out, and treat the entry log as tenant data you use only for a real reason. A smart lock is safe when each code belongs to one person and expires, and risky when one code is shared by everyone who ever needed in. State landlord-tenant laws on entry notice and rekeying still apply, and they vary, so check your state's law.

What goes wrong with smart lock codes

Smart locks solve a real turn problem: a painter or cleaner can enter an empty unit without anyone driving over with a key. The trouble starts when a single code is reused. One code written on a work order, sent in a group text and then left active for months is the same as a key copied for everyone who touched that thread.

  • A vendor's code still works after the job, so a person you no longer hire can enter later.
  • A tenant's old code still works after move-out, so a former tenant can still enter the unit.
  • The master or admin code is known to several helpers, so a log entry cannot tell you who entered.
  • The lock's app account uses a weak or reused password, so a stranger can create a code remotely.

Code rules that keep a unit secure

  1. Keep the owner or admin code to yourself, and store it in a password manager, not in a note on your phone.
  2. Create one code per person, labeled with their name and the job, so the lock's log shows who came in.
  3. Set an expiry on every vendor code, such as the end of the work day or the end of the scheduled window. Most smart lock apps allow a start and end time.
  4. Delete the tenant's code on the day the lease ends and set a new one for the incoming tenant. Many owners also rekey or replace the cylinder, which is covered in the post on rekeying between tenants.
  5. Put two-factor sign-in on the lock app's account, and give a helper their own app login if the lock maker allows it.
  6. Once a quarter, open the code list and delete any code with no current reason to exist.

Battery and connectivity matter too. A lock that dies at midnight leaves a tenant outside, so swap batteries on a schedule and keep a mechanical key option where the lock has one.

Privacy: the entry log is tenant data

Many smart locks record who opened the door and when. In an occupied unit, that log shows when the tenant comes and goes, which is personal information. A landlord has an ordinary reason to look at it, such as checking that a scheduled repair happened or investigating a reported break-in. Looking at it to track a tenant's habits is a different matter, and it can create a dispute and in some states a legal problem.

  • Tell tenants in the lease or an addendum that the lock keeps a log, who can see it and why.
  • Limit the log to the owner and the one helper who handles access.
  • Do not use the tenant's code to enter. Entry for repairs follows your state's notice rules, and the lock does not change them.
  • Delete old logs on a set schedule. A shorter record is less to lose in a breach.

Notice-before-entry rules, and any rule on who may hold a key or code, differ by state and sometimes by city. Check your state's law, and do not treat this post as legal advice.

Between tenants and between jobs

A turn is the riskiest time, because several vendors may need entry in a short stretch. List the jobs on the work order with the day and time window each one has, and create one expiring code per vendor from that list. When the unit is ready, remove every vendor code at once.

In DoorKeeping, work orders and vendor schedules live in one place, which makes that list easy to build. You can ask your own Claude or ChatGPT which units have vendor visits this week so you know which codes to set. DoorKeeping is $2 per unit per month.

Sources

  1. CISA, More than a Password (multifactor authentication), read Oct 30, 2026
  2. FTC, Protecting Personal Information: A Guide for Business, read Oct 30, 2026
  3. HUD, Landlord and tenant rights by state, read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

Do I have to change locks between tenants?
Some states require a landlord to rekey or change locks between tenants, and others do not. Check your state's law, and as a safety step, many owners rekey every turn.
Can a landlord read a smart lock's entry log?
Usually yes for a legitimate reason, but it is tenant data. Disclose the log in the lease, limit who sees it and use it for repairs, safety or a reported incident, not to follow a tenant's routine.
Should vendors get the same code?
No. One code per vendor, set to expire, means the log shows who entered and a former vendor cannot return.

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