Landlord-Safe Buying Guide

Best Renter-Friendly Smart Locks

The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen) is our top pick — it bolts onto your existing deadbolt in about ten minutes, keeps your original key, and needs zero landlord approval.

Updated August 2026 • 5 picks compared

★ Best Overall · Best for Renters

August

Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen)

The retrofit lock that just works — keep your key, keep your landlord happy.

August's 4th-gen lock clamps onto the inside of your existing deadbolt, so nothing about your door changes for the landlord and your old key still works. It's the easiest, most reliable way to make a rental smart.

Bolts onto your existing deadbolt in about 10 minutes with just a screwdriver
Keep your original keys and restore the door at move-out
Wi-Fi is built in — no separate bridge to buy
Auto-lock, auto-unlock, and share timed guest keys from the app

Runs on CR123A batteries you'll swap every few months
No built-in keypad — add the August Smart Keypad for codes

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Best Hidden Install

Level

Bolt (Matter)

Goes completely invisible — no one can tell your door is smart.

The Level Bolt hides entirely inside your door, swapping only the interior deadbolt guts while your exterior hardware and keys stay exactly the same. Perfect if you want zero visible change and a clean reversal when you move out.

Totally hidden — the outside of your door looks untouched
Keep your existing keys and handle set
A single CR2 battery lasts about a year
Reverses cleanly at move-out — just reinstall the original bolt

Needs the Level app or a Matter hub for remote and voice control
You remove the deadbolt to install, so it's a bit more involved

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No-Subscription Pick

SwitchBot

Lock Pro

Sticks on in five minutes — the no-drill, no-commitment pick.

The Lock Pro mounts over your thumb-turn with strong adhesive (a bolt-on plate is included too), so there's nothing to drill and nothing to explain to a landlord. Add the SwitchBot Hub for Wi-Fi, Matter and voice — with no monthly fee either way.

Adhesive install in about five minutes, fully reversible
No subscription for any core feature
Add a keypad or hub for codes, Wi-Fi and Matter
Strong, fast motor turns even a stiff deadbolt

Bluetooth-only until you add the Hub (sold separately)
The interior housing is chunkier than August or Level

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Best for Roommates

Yale

Approach

A trusted lock name in retrofit form, with easy code sharing.

Yale's first retrofit lock installs over your existing deadbolt and keeps your keys, then pairs with the optional Yale Keypad so roommates and guests can use a code instead of a key. Built-in Wi-Fi means there's no extra bridge to buy.

Keeps your keys and installs in about 10 minutes
Built-in Wi-Fi with remote control and unlimited virtual keys
Optional stick-on keypad for keypad codes
Well-known brand with a polished app and support

The keypad is a separate purchase
Larger interior body than the August

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Best Budget

SwitchBot

Smart Lock

The cheapest real retrofit — smart access on a starter budget.

The original SwitchBot Lock does the core job — lock and unlock from your phone over your existing deadbolt with an adhesive install — for the least money in the category. Add the Wi-Fi Hub later if you want remote control.

Lowest price of any true retrofit lock here
No-drill adhesive install, fully reversible
Long battery life on swappable CR123A cells
Upgrade to Wi-Fi or Matter later with a Hub

Bluetooth-only out of the box (Hub sold separately)
No keypad included

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Compare all 5

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Product	Best for	Install	Connectivity	Price ($–$$$$)
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen)	Most renters	Over existing deadbolt, ~10 min	Built-in Wi-Fi + Bluetooth	$$$	Check price →
Level Bolt (Matter)	Invisible install	Hidden inside the door	Bluetooth + Matter over Thread	$$$$	Check price →
SwitchBot Lock Pro	Smart-home renters	Adhesive, no drill, ~5 min	Bluetooth (add Hub for Wi-Fi/Matter)	$$$	Check price →
Yale Approach	Roommates & guests	Over existing deadbolt, ~10 min	Built-in Wi-Fi + Bluetooth	$$$	Check price →
SwitchBot Smart Lock	Tight budgets	Adhesive, no drill	Bluetooth (add Hub for Wi-Fi/Matter)	$$$	Check price →

How to choose

Before you buy

01 · Confirm it's a retrofit, not a replacement

Renter-friendly locks mount on the inside, over your existing deadbolt, so the outside of the door and your keys never change — and your landlord never has to approve a swap. Skip the full-replacement locks with exterior keypads; those require removing your building's hardware.

02 · Measure and photograph your deadbolt

Most retrofit locks fit a standard single-cylinder deadbolt with an interior thumb-turn. Before you buy, snap a photo of that thumb-turn and check your deadbolt brand against the maker's compatibility list so you know it'll grip and turn properly.

03 · Think about install and move-out

Adhesive-mount locks like SwitchBot peel off cleanly, while screw-on locks like August and Yale reuse your existing deadbolt screws with no new holes. Either way, keep the original parts in a drawer so you can restore the door in minutes when your lease ends.

04 · Know how it connects — and what it costs to run

Some locks have Wi-Fi built in (August, Yale) for remote control out of the box; others are Bluetooth until you add a hub (SwitchBot) or use Matter (Level). None of these charge a subscription for core locking, so budget for a one-time hub if you need one, not a monthly fee.