Best Smart Locks for Landlords and Property Managers (2026)
A tenant moves out on the 1st, the next moves in that afternoon — a master key doesn't scale past a handful of doors. This guide ranks 3 smart locks by tenant code turnover speed, priced 139.99$ to 289.36$, for landlords managing more than one unit.
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The Short Answer
For a landlord managing more than one door, the igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S wins on the metric that matters most at turnover: it validates codes locally, so a property with no internet still works, and Airbnb Connect auto-generates and expires a tenant's PIN without you touching the keypad.
Featured in this Guide
Igloohome
Smart Deadbolt 2S
- •Offline PIN validation plus Airbnb Connect auto-PIN generation per booking
- •at 139.99$
Schlage
Encode Plus Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt
- •Grade AAA deadbolt
- •Apple Home Key
- •100-code keypad
August
Wi-Fi Smart Lock
- •Cheapest per door at 174.99$
- •no keypad fallback if Wi-Fi drops
Head-to-Head: Tenant Turnover Speed and the SHE Score
Smart Security
Chart
Smarthomeexplorer.comTap any pick to check its live price on Amazon.
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The Renter's Smart Lock Isn't the Landlord's Lock
Most smart-lock guides, including our own smart home picks for renters, prioritize the tenant installing a single unit they don't own. A landlord's requirement is substantially different: a code that changes the same day a lease turns over, multiplied across however many doors the portfolio contains. Five units at 174.99$ apiece totals 874.95$ before tax; the identical five units at 289.36$ totals roughly 1.65x that figure — a gap that, compared to a single-unit purchase, meaningfully reprioritizes which factor should drive the decision toward turnover speed over setup convenience.
In this roundup we evaluated 3 locks, verified as of July 2026, against a new SHE Landlord Multi-Unit Readiness Score that weights tenant code turnover speed, connectivity independence, and installation effort. The Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S leads because, relative to the other 2 locks here, it substantially reduces dependence on the property's own internet connection to function.
Best Overall for Landlords: Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S
Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S
(Current price, subject to change)
The Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S earns a 9.1 weighted composite on the SHE Landlord Multi-Unit Readiness Score, the top result here. Tenant Code Turnover Speed scores a normalized 9.5: Airbnb Connect reads a guest's approved booking directly, sends a unique PIN roughly 1 hour before check-in, and expires that code within 24 hours of checkout — a landlord never touches the keypad between tenants. Connectivity Independence also scores 9.5, and SafeWise independently confirms the mechanism: the lock validates cryptographic, time-bound codes without requiring the door itself to be online, substantially reducing the failure surface on a vacant unit.
At 139.99$, it's the cheapest of the 3 locks here, which compounds once multiplied across a portfolio — 6 units runs 839.94$ in hardware, comparatively less than half of the equivalent Schlage outlay. Ease of Setup scores 8.0: a standard deadbolt install on 4 AA batteries, rated for a roughly 1-year runtime, no bridge required. The tradeoff is ecosystem breadth: no Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit integration, and no live remote status check from an office dashboard.
What We Love
- Airbnb Connect auto-generates a stay-bound PIN per booking and expires it automatically after checkout
- The lock validates codes offline — a vacant unit with no active internet plan still works at the door
- No subscription is listed for the base lock; the optional Airbnb Connect automation layer is currently offered free during its trial period
What Could Be Better
- No Alexa, Google Home, or HomeKit support — it's a standalone app, not an ecosystem device
- No real-time remote status check — you can't confirm from the office whether a specific door is currently locked
The Verdict
If your priority is a lock that keeps working during the gap between one tenant leaving and the next one's deposit clearing, the Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S fits the brief. The 9.1 composite is the highest here specifically because turnover-and-connectivity, not ecosystem polish, is what a multi-unit landlord actually needs solved.
Best for Premium Multi-Platform Portfolios: Schlage Encode Plus Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt
Schlage Encode Plus Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt
(Current price, subject to change)
The Schlage Encode Plus Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt earns a 7.7 weighted composite, the middle of this comparison. Schlage's own product documentation confirms the ANSI/BHMA A156.40-2015 Grade AAA rating — the highest residential security, durability, and finish certification of the 3 locks evaluated here — along with a 100 code capacity keypad that lets a landlord assign and revoke individual tenant codes without requiring anyone to install an app. Ease of Setup scores 7.5, a standard deadbolt swap with built-in Wi-Fi and no separate hub.
Tenant Code Turnover Speed scores 9.0, close behind the igloohome, since the keypad supports up to 100 independent codes managed directly from the lock or the Schlage Home app. Connectivity Independence scores lower at 6.0: the keypad codes themselves work without a live connection, but remote code management, activity logs, and app-based revocation all depend on the property's Wi-Fi staying online, a real consideration during a vacancy between tenants. At 289.36$, it costs roughly 2.07x the igloohome's price and 1.65x the August's, a premium that buys Apple Home Key support and a build quality rating the other 2 locks here don't match.
What We Love
- ANSI/BHMA Grade AAA rating — certified to the highest residential security, durability, and finish standard in this comparison
- 100-code keypad means a tenant can be assigned and removed without ever installing an app
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Apple Home Key with no hub required
What Could Be Better
- At 289.36$, it's the priciest of the 3 locks here, a real cost once multiplied across several units
- Wi-Fi only — no Z-Wave or Zigbee for a mesh-network property management setup
The Verdict
For a landlord who wants a lock a tenant genuinely enjoys living with — physical keypad, Apple Home Key, real ecosystem support — the Schlage Encode Plus Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt checks the boxes that matter for a premium-positioned rental. The 7.7 composite trails the igloohome by a meaningful margin specifically on turnover automation, not build quality.
Best Budget Multi-Unit Pick: August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
(Current price, subject to change)
The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock earns a 5.3 weighted composite, the lowest of the 3 locks here, a direct consequence of shipping with no physical keypad. At 174.99$, roughly 0.6x the Schlage's per-door price, it delivers the cheapest hardware outlay of the 3 — a gap that widens fast once multiplied across a portfolio. Wirecutter rates it the best retrofit option for keeping existing keys working, and CNET confirms the auto-unlock feature performs reliably once configured.
Tenant Code Turnover Speed scores 6.5: swapping tenants is purely app-based guest access, no locksmith required, but it depends entirely on the new tenant installing the app before move-in. Connectivity Independence scores just 3.0, the floor of this comparison — Wirecutter and CNET both confirm there is no keypad at all, so every remote override and tenant unlock, compared to the keypad-equipped Schlage and igloohome, routes through the same Wi-Fi-linked account. Ease of Setup scores 6.0, reflecting installation Wirecutter flags as fiddlier than a standard swap.
What We Love
- Cheapest of the 3 locks at 174.99$ per door, which adds up fastest across a multi-unit portfolio
- Retrofits over an existing deadbolt, keeping the original key working for maintenance staff
- Works across Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit
What Could Be Better
- No keypad at all — every unlock, including a landlord's remote override, routes through the app and the linked Wi-Fi account
- Installation runs fiddlier than a standard deadbolt swap, per Wirecutter's own coverage
The Verdict
If per-door cost is the deciding factor and you're comfortable that every tenant needs the app, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is the path of least friction for a fast, budget multi-unit rollout. The 5.3 composite is the lowest here precisely because there's no keypad fallback when Wi-Fi drops.
How We Score: SHE Landlord Multi-Unit Readiness Score
SHE Landlord Multi-Unit Readiness Score
Score Formula
(Tenant Code Turnover Speed × 0.45) + (Connectivity Independence × 0.30) + (Ease of Setup × 0.25)Score Factors
- Tenant Code Turnover Speed (45%)How quickly and remotely a landlord can issue a new tenant's access code and kill the old one without a site visit, normalized against reviewer and manufacturer documentation. Airbnb Connect's automated per-booking PIN generation (SafeWise-verified) normalizes to 9.5; a 100-code keypad managed via app normalizes to 9.0; app-only guest access with no keypad fallback normalizes to 6.5.
- Connectivity Independence (30%)How much of the lock's core unlock function survives if the property's Wi-Fi or ISP account lapses between tenants — a physical keypad or fully offline validation scores highest, an app-only lock with no local fallback scores lowest. Fully offline cryptographic validation normalizes to 9.5; Wi-Fi-dependent remote management with an offline keypad fallback normalizes to 6.0; no keypad at all normalizes to 3.0.
- Ease of Setup (25%)Install and per-door setup effort, weighted lower than the other 2 factors since it's a one-time cost that matters less than turnover speed once a portfolio is up and running. A standard deadbolt swap with no bridge normalizes to 7.5-8.0; a retrofit installation reviewers flag as fiddlier than standard normalizes to 6.0.
SHE Landlord Multi-Unit Readiness Score — Ranked
Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S
9.1/10139.99$ — offline PIN validation plus Airbnb Connect auto-generation and expiration per booking
Schlage Encode Plus Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt
7.7/10289.36$ — Grade AAA build, Apple Home Key, 100-code keypad tenants can use without an app
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
5.3/10174.99$ — cheapest per door, but no keypad fallback if the linked Wi-Fi account is ever unreachable
The Multi-Unit Purchase Math and the PMS Integration Layer
The per-door price is only half the budgeting question — the other half is what it costs to manage codes once a portfolio grows past a handful of doors. All 3 locks in this roundup work standalone, one app per property, which is fine for 2-3 units but gets unwieldy fast past that. For a landlord who already runs 10 or more doors through a property management system (PMS) like AppFolio, Yardi, or Rent Manager, RemoteLock is worth knowing about as a separate software layer: it's a hardware-agnostic dashboard that manages existing locks from multiple manufacturers rather than a lock itself, priced from 6$ per door monthly on an annual plan; its enterprise tier runs roughly 2x that per-door rate, per RemoteLock's own current pricing page, verified as of July 2026. That per-door subscription only pencils out once a portfolio is large enough that centralized code management delivers more staff-time savings than it costs — for the 2-6 unit range this guide targets, the standalone app on each of the 3 locks above is comparatively the simpler and cheaper starting configuration.
None of the 3 locks here requires a monthly fee to function at the basic level: the igloohome and Schlage both operate their core keypad or offline-code function with zero subscription, and the August's app is free to use for guest access, though its remote and auto-unlock convenience depends entirely on that Wi-Fi connection staying live. Weighted against a standalone platform, a full PMS integration only outperforms the simpler per-lock apps once the door count substantially exceeds this guide's 2-6 unit range; below that tier, the formula tips the other way. Whichever lock you choose, the operational habit that actually protects a rental property, and produces the biggest reduction in turnover risk, is identical regardless of hardware tier: issue a new tenant a fresh, individually-attributable code at move-in on the Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S, the Schlage Encode Plus Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt, or the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock alike, and revoke the previous tenant's code the same day the lease ends — never hand a single shared code down from tenant to tenant, a practice that independently defeats the entire SHE Landlord Multi-Unit Readiness Score this guide is built around.
| Product | Physical Keypad | Works Fully Offline | Alexa/Google/HomeKit | Airbnb Connect / PMS-Ready |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Schlage Encode Plus Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| August Wi-Fi Smart Lock | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
When NOT to Buy
A landlord who personally administers a single unit, handling every key exchange independently and immediately, is solving a coordination requirement these locks weren't prioritized to address — a conventional rekey between tenants remains comparatively cheaper and substantially simpler than introducing an unnecessary software configuration. Certain jurisdictions additionally restrict removing a traditional physical-key entry point through lease or building-code requirements; an independent evaluation of local landlord-tenant law is advisable before treating any lock in this comparison as a full deadbolt replacement rather than a supplementary access layer.
Who Should Buy What
Who Should Buy What
| If you are… | Recommended pick |
|---|---|
Short-term or turnover-heavy rentals You rotate tenants or guests frequently and want PIN generation and expiration handled automatically without a keypad visit | Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S |
Premium long-term rentals You manage a smaller number of higher-end units where tenant experience, Apple Home Key, and Grade AAA build quality justify a higher per-door price | Schlage Encode Plus Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt |
Fast multi-unit rollout on a budget You're outfitting several units at once on a tight capital budget and every tenant is comfortable installing an app | August Wi-Fi Smart Lock |
Rural or connectivity-unreliable properties The property doesn't have a guaranteed always-on internet connection between tenants and the lock itself needs to keep working regardless | Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a smart lock worth it for a landlord with multiple rental units?
For most landlords managing more than one door, yes — the time saved not driving to a property to hand over or collect a physical key, and not paying a locksmith to rekey a deadbolt between every tenant, tends to outweigh the per-door hardware cost within the first turnover or two. The math shifts if you manage a single unit you handle in person; in that case a standard rekey is simpler and cheaper than adding smart-lock software to manage.
How fast can I change the access code between tenants?
It depends on the lock. The igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S can generate and send a new tenant's code remotely without a site visit, and its Airbnb Connect integration automates this entirely for booking-based stays. The Schlage Encode Plus supports up to 100 independently assigned keypad codes, so revoking one tenant and adding the next takes a few minutes in the app or at the keypad. The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock has no keypad at all — turnover means adding a new tenant's phone as an app-based guest, which is fast but requires that tenant to have already installed the app.
Will a smart lock still work if a vacant unit's Wi-Fi gets shut off between tenants?
It depends heavily on which lock. The igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S validates codes locally through offline cryptographic verification, so the lock itself keeps working with zero internet connection at the property — only generating a brand-new remote code requires connectivity on your end, not the property's. The Schlage Encode Plus keeps its keypad codes working offline too, though remote management and activity logs need the property's Wi-Fi. The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock has no offline fallback at all — if the property's internet is down, the lock cannot be unlocked remotely and there's no keypad to fall back on.
Do I need a platform like RemoteLock to manage smart locks across a property portfolio?
Not for a small portfolio. All 3 locks in this guide work fine standalone, one app per property, for a landlord managing roughly 2-6 units. RemoteLock and similar PMS-integrated platforms make more sense once a portfolio grows large enough — commonly cited around 10 or more doors — that centralizing code management inside your existing property management software saves more staff time than its per-door monthly subscription costs.
Which of these 3 locks is best for an Airbnb or short-term rental?
The igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S, by a clear margin, specifically because of its Airbnb Connect integration: it reads your approved booking calendar and automatically generates a PIN unique to that exact reservation, then expires the code shortly after checkout without you doing anything manually. Neither the Schlage Encode Plus nor the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock offers that level of booking-synced automation out of the box.
Bottom Line
Get the Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S if you manage turnover-heavy or short-term units and want tenant PIN generation and expiration handled automatically, without every incoming tenant needing an app.
Get the Schlage Encode Plus Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt if you manage a smaller number of premium long-term units and a physical keypad plus Apple Home Key justifies the 289.36$ price.
Get the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock if you're outfitting several units on a tight budget and every tenant is comfortable installing an app before move-in.
Whichever lock you pick, the habit matters more than the hardware: issue every incoming tenant an individually attributable code and revoke the outgoing tenant's code the same day the lease ends. A 289.36$ lock with a great keypad still fails a landlord who keeps reusing the same shared code across 3 tenants.
Sources & Methodology
Methodology: SHE Landlord Multi-Unit Readiness Score — Formula: (Tenant Code Turnover Speed × 0.45) + (Connectivity Independence × 0.30) + (Ease of Setup × 0.25). Factors: Tenant Code Turnover Speed (45%): How quickly and remotely a landlord can issue a new tenant's access code and kill the old one without a site visit, normalized against reviewer and manufacturer documentation. Airbnb Connect's automated per-booking PIN generation (SafeWise-verified) normalizes to 9.5; a 100-code keypad managed via app normalizes to 9.0; app-only guest access with no keypad fallback normalizes to 6.5. | Connectivity Independence (30%): How much of the lock's core unlock function survives if the property's Wi-Fi or ISP account lapses between tenants — a physical keypad or fully offline validation scores highest, an app-only lock with no local fallback scores lowest. Fully offline cryptographic validation normalizes to 9.5; Wi-Fi-dependent remote management with an offline keypad fallback normalizes to 6.0; no keypad at all normalizes to 3.0. | Ease of Setup (25%): Install and per-door setup effort, weighted lower than the other 2 factors since it's a one-time cost that matters less than turnover speed once a portfolio is up and running. A standard deadbolt swap with no bridge normalizes to 7.5-8.0; a retrofit installation reviewers flag as fiddlier than standard normalizes to 6.0.
Expert review sources used in this analysis:
- SmartHomeExplorer aggregates expert review data and manufacturer specifications to produce consensus-based buying guidance
- We do not perform first-party product testing
- August Wi-Fi Smart Lock feature confirmations (no physical keypad, built-in Wi-Fi, retrofit installation, auto-unlock reliability) are attributed to Wirecutter and CNET per SHE's existing consensus registry
- Igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S feature confirmations (offline cryptographic PIN validation, no-internet-required operation) are attributed to SafeWise and Security.org per SHE's existing consensus registry; the Airbnb Connect mechanism (automated per-booking PIN generation and issuance timing, automatic expiration within 24 hours of checkout) is sourced directly to igloohome's own support documentation, fetched July 29, 2026
- Schlage Encode Plus's ANSI/BHMA A156.40-2015 Grade AAA certification and 100 code capacity are sourced directly to Schlage's official product page, fetched July 29, 2026; no third-party outlet quote is attributed to this specific listing in SHE's consensus registry, so no outlet citation is made for it beyond the manufacturer specification
- RemoteLock's per-door subscription pricing (from 6$/door/month annual, from 12$/door/month enterprise) is sourced directly to remotelock.com/pricing, fetched July 29, 2026; this figure supersedes an outdated 3$/door/month estimate that appears in an unrelated corpus entry
- Amazon buyability and current listing price for all 3 featured locks (August Wi-Fi Smart Lock 174.99$, Schlage Encode Plus 289.36$, igloohome Smart Deadbolt 2S 139.99$) were live-verified via the Amazon Creators API on July 29, 2026, and all 3 carry SmartHomeExplorer's standard Associates tag
- The SHE Landlord Multi-Unit Readiness Score weights tenant code turnover speed, connectivity independence, and ease of setup; see the methodology section above for the full formula.
Nicholas Miles is the founder of SmartHomeExplorer and a longtime smart home enthusiast focused on helping everyday homeowners make better technology decisions. He researches, compares, and writes about products across security, climate, lighting, leak prevention, sensors, home energy, and automation, with an emphasis on real-world usefulness, ecosystem compatibility, reliability, privacy, and long-term value.
Affiliate disclosure: SmartHomeExplorer earns affiliate commissions on qualifying Amazon purchases. Our scoring methodology is independent of affiliate relationships.
