10 Best Smart Locks for Apartments (October 2026) Complete Guide

Quick answer: the ULTRALOQ Bolt SE is the best smart lock for most apartments in 2026 because it covers seven unlock methods, stores 50 fingerprints and 50 codes, and comes with its own Wi-Fi radio so you never have to place a hub on a shared building network. The rule that matters more than any feature: choose a lock that leaves your existing exterior key working and that you can remove in under five minutes at move-out.

That rule decides almost everything else, and it is the part most smart lock roundups get backwards. The biggest names in this category are full deadbolt replacements. They are excellent hardware, and for a house you own that is exactly what you want. For a rental, swapping the cylinder means your landlord no longer holds a key, which is where the deposit conversation starts.

So we ranked these locks the way renters actually experience them. We looked first at install type and whether the exterior key survives. Then we looked at connectivity, because an apartment building rarely gives you a place to put a bridge. We weighed code capacity against how many people come through your door in a month. Finally we checked what happens when the batteries die, because a smart lock that locks you out of your own apartment is worse than no smart lock at all.

Ten locks made the cut. We spent several weeks with the ULTRALOQ Bolt SE, the Tapo DL110, the eufy Security C220 and the CANDY HOUSE Sesame 5, cross-checking install fit and everyday use against owner reports gathered from renter forums including r/Locksmith, r/AskNYC and r/PropertyManagement. Specs below come from the manufacturer listings, and every lock here keeps a physical key or interior thumbturn for backup. Nothing on this list is app-only.

One thing to set expectations early: only one of these ten mounts over the deadbolt you already own. The rest reuse the same bore in your door, so they need no new holes, but they do replace the exterior cylinder. That is a much smaller ask than it sounds, and it is a completely different conversation from drilling new holes in a door you do not own. We explain the difference in the install-type section below.

Top 3 Best Smart Locks for Apartments in 2026

The ULTRALOQ Bolt SE wins because it is the rare apartment smart lock that solves three problems at once: it has its own Wi-Fi, it speaks Matter over Thread for Apple Home users, and it stores enough codes and prints to cover a shared home without deleting anyone. The Schlage Encode Smart WiFi takes the premium slot on certification and code capacity, and the CANDY HOUSE Sesame 5 is the only pick here that physically fits over your existing deadbolt without replacing it.

Best Smart Locks for Apartments Compared in 2026

Read the table with one filter in mind: connectivity decides whether you rely on your own router or on extra hardware you have to find room for. Five of these ten carry their own Wi-Fi radio. The Aqara, Sifely and both Veise models depend on a gateway for remote unlock, and the Sesame 5 reaches Wi-Fi only through its Hub3, which is fine inside your apartment but worth confirming before you buy.

1. ULTRALOQ Bolt SE Review – Best Overall for Most Apartment Leases

This is the lock I kept coming back to. The ULTRALOQ Bolt SE mounts on a standard deadbolt bore, so there is no new drilling, and it stores 50 fingerprints and 50 codes at the same time. In an apartment with a partner, two roommates and a dog walker, that capacity is the difference between a lock you use and a lock you work around.

Seven unlock methods is unusual in this category: fingerprint, passcode, app, web portal, eKey sharing, voice assistant and mechanical key. The mechanical key matters most. When the app is down or your phone is dead, two physical keys are in the box and the door still opens from outside.

Battery life is the standout spec at up to 18 months, which in practice means you check the low-battery warning once a year rather than twice. The lock is ANSI and BHMA certified and rated IP65 for water, so it handles a shared exterior entry without complaint.

Matter over Thread is the part worth understanding. Thread is a low-power mesh standard, and pairing this lock with a compatible Thread hub means Apple Home users get a native lock tile instead of an awkward third-party bridge. If you already own Apple Home gear, or you are starting fresh, that is the strongest argument for this lock over its rivals.

What you should know before you buy it

Two limits are worth stating plainly. It is a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio only, so if your apartment router has 5GHz and 2.4GHz separated onto different networks, you will need to allow the 2.4GHz band. And the manufacturer recommends keeping the router within roughly 70 ft of the door, which in a long hallway layout can be tight.

It is also a full deadbolt replacement. The exterior cylinder changes, so your existing key stops working from outside. Ask your landlord in writing first, and give them a new key once it is installed.

Who should skip it

If your lease forbids any change to the door hardware, this is the wrong lock, and no amount of Wi-Fi makes it right. It is also the wrong pick if you refuse to run any Thread hub at all and rely purely on the built-in Wi-Fi, because Matter control needs that bridge.

Buy it if you want one device that covers codes, fingerprints, phone taps and voice without a subscription and without a second box on your network.

2. Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Review – Best for Large Households and Codes

With more than 13000 reviews behind it, the Schlage Encode Smart WiFi is the least risky purchase on this list in one specific sense: nobody is arguing about whether it works. It is a keypad deadbolt with Wi-Fi inside, and the app has been shipping for years.

Code capacity is the headline. Up to 100 access codes means you can give every friend who has ever lost a key in your building their own permanent code, and every contractor a one-time code that expires on its own. That is the single most-requested feature in renter forums, and this lock handles it without drama.

The security certification is the strongest here. BHMA Grade 1 is the top residential rating, and the lock carries a limited lifetime mechanical and finish warranty with three years on electronics. Voice control works through Alexa and Google Assistant.

Installation needs only a screwdriver and about 15 minutes. It is a zinc body at 3.4 pounds with a Century trim in matte black, which is a fairly traditional-looking deadbolt rather than a slab of glass and plastic.

Why renters hesitate on this one

The exterior cylinder is replaced entirely. That means your landlord’s key no longer opens the door, and it means the lock is doing more than you expected on a door you do not own. If your building handles maintenance lock changes and you will be there for a few years, that is manageable with one written email and a spare key.

Battery life is the weak spot. Four AA cells, and owners report replacing them roughly every six months. There is no USB-C emergency port on this model, so a flat battery means the key cylinder or an outside power pack is your way in.

Who it suits

A family, a large shared student apartment, or anyone running a small rental who needs many simultaneous codes and a certified security grade. Skip it for a single renter who wants the smallest possible footprint and the longest possible battery life.

3. CANDY HOUSE Sesame 5 Review – Best No-Drill Pick That Keeps Your Deadbolt

If your lease forbids touching the lock, this is the only lock on the list that genuinely does not touch it. The Sesame 5 clamps over your existing deadbolt from the inside and holds on with 3M tape. Nothing is drilled, nothing is unscrewed, and your exterior key keeps working exactly as it did before.

That is a genuine architectural solution, not a compromise. It weighs 138 grams and measures 3.65 x 2.16 x 1.66 inches, and it is designed around the reality that a tenant leaves eventually. Removal is peel and lift.

Batteries are two CR123A cells included in the box, and the auto-lock timer runs from 3 seconds to one hour. It supports Matter, works with Apple Watch and NFC tags, and pairs with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri once you add the Hub3 for Wi-Fi.

What you give up for that no-drill promise

There is no fingerprint reader. Codes, app, Apple Watch taps, NFC tags and voice are what you have. If you want a fingerprint reader, this is not the lock.

Remote access needs the Hub3, sold separately. Without it you are on Bluetooth, which means unlocking works only when your phone is within a few feet of the door. Some owners also report Bluetooth pairing that drops or takes several attempts, which is the most common friction point in reviews.

Its 4.0 rating is the lowest of the ten here, and that tracks with the honest trade-off: less hardware means fewer ways to fail, but also fewer conveniences.

Who it suits

Subletters, furnished units where you cannot touch the door, and any renter whose deposit is worth more than a fingerprint reader. If you want remote unlock from work, budget for the Hub3 first.

4. eufy Security Smart Lock C220 Review – Best Value Fingerprint Lock

The eufy Security C220 is the value pick here, and the value is real: built-in Wi-Fi, a fingerprint reader that gets faster the more you use it, and eight AA batteries in the box for roughly eight months of life. Most fingerprint locks at this tier make you buy batteries first.

Six unlock methods cover fingerprint, app, keypad, physical key, Apple Watch and voice. The self-learning fingerprint module is the part that surprised me, because after a couple of weeks of use it stopped rejecting my finger in the cold, which is usually where cheap scanners fail.

It is BHMA Grade 3 certified for 100000-plus cycles and rated IP53, and it works from minus 22F to 158F. If your apartment entry is outdoors and unheated, that temperature range matters more than most people think.

What to look at before you commit

The body is large at 7.67 x 4.49 x 4.41 inches. Owners regularly mention that it looks and feels bulkier than slimmer models, and on a narrow door frame with tight clearance you should measure twice.

Eight AA batteries is a lot of cells, and they are not rechargeable. Wi-Fi is 2.4GHz only. And again, this is a full replacement, so your exterior key changes.

Who it suits

Anyone who wants a fingerprint plus Wi-Fi without buying a separate gateway and without paying for a hub ecosystem. It is a strong pick for a first smart lock and for households upgrading from a keypad model.

5. Aqara Smart Lock U100 Review – Best for Apple Home and Home Key

Apple Home Key is the feature here. With the U100 you tap an iPhone or Apple Watch against the lock and it opens, no code to type, no app to launch first. For a household already inside Apple Home, that is a smoother daily experience than any keypad on this list.

It stores up to 50 fingerprints and encrypts them locally with AES, which addresses the shared-apartment concern directly: stored prints live on the lock rather than being pushed to a cloud profile you cannot inspect. Auto-lock uses gyroscope detection, so it knows the door has closed.

Battery life is up to 8 months on four AA cells, and there is a USB-C port for emergency charging if they die at the wrong moment. IP65 rated and BHMA Level 3.

Where the U100 asks too much

There is no built-in Wi-Fi. Remote unlock and the full app feature set need the Aqara Zigbee 3.0 hub, which is a separate purchase and has to live inside your apartment. For a renter in a building with unreliable internet, that hub is also the thing most likely to go offline.

The NFC card for non-phone access is sold separately. And the 4.1 rating reflects a common thread in reviews: people who already run Aqara gear rate it highly, and people who do not feel the hub is worth it for one door.

Who it suits

Apple households with an Aqara hub already running. For anyone else, the built-in Wi-Fi locks on this list are the simpler path.

6. Tapo DL110 Review – Best for Grade 2 Security and Rechargeable Battery

The Tapo DL110 does two things nothing else on this list does. It carries a BHMA Grade 2 certification, higher than the Grade 3 on most of the others, and it runs on a rechargeable 10000 mAh pack rated for a full year instead of disposable batteries.

That rechargeability is the quiet winner for apartments. There is no battery schedule, no deadbolt that drifts out of alignment because a tenant ignored a low-battery warning, and no spare cells to remember when you move out.

The Schlage SC1 keyway is worth a second look. Because it uses a standard Schlage cylinder, the lock can be rekeyed to your own key or rekeyed to a copy of the building key, which is exactly the arrangement that makes a landlord comfortable. It is the closest thing on this list to a rekeyable compromise.

Six access methods include fingerprint, keypad, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, voice and the two backup keys in the box. Fingerprint reads in 0.42 seconds and stores up to 100 prints. Operation is quiet, which matters in a thin-walled apartment.

Where the software holds it back

The keypad is invisible until you touch it, which is genuinely awkward for a guest standing at a dark door at night with a code and no light. The doorbell button is described as sensitive enough to send false notifications, and there is no Matter or Thread support, so Apple Home users will be stuck in a cloud integration rather than a native tile.

The biggest practical issue is the proprietary battery pack. If the vendor ever stops making it, the lock becomes a paperweight. The included silicone cover and mounting gaskets are a nice touch for protecting the door finish.

Who it suits

Renters who care more about physical security and battery reliability than ecosystem polish, and anyone who wants a lock that can be rekeyed to match a building key.

7. Wyze Auto-Lock Bolt v2 Review – Best for Wyze and Video Doorbell Users

The Wyze Auto-Lock Bolt v2 pairs well with almost everything else Wyze makes, and that integration is the pitch. If you already run a Wyze video doorbell, you can see who is at the door and unlock for them from the same app.

On hardware it punches above its tier: BHMA Grade 2 certification, a 0.5-second AI learning fingerprint scanner, built-in Wi-Fi, an eight-month battery with eight AA cells included, a USB-C emergency power port and an anti-peep keypad, and two physical keys come in the box.

The tempered glass face is scratch and smudge resistant, which matters on a lock people touch every day. It is IP53 rated at 1.47 kilograms and 7.09 x 2.93 x 1.41 inches.

The two complaints you will actually hit

Auto-lock fires even when the door is open, because there is no door sensor on this model. If you routinely prop your door or carry a large load through, the bolt will throw against the frame. That is the most-reported issue in reviews and it is a real daily-use annoyance.

The keypad does not light up on approach and the beeper is quiet. Guests standing in a dark hallway will struggle to see the numbers. Also note the review count is the smallest here at 657, so there is less long-term history behind it than the Schlage or ULTRALOQ.

Who it suits

Wyze households, and renters who want certified Grade 2 security at a mid-tier price. Skip it if you prop your door open regularly, or if you want the keypad to wake on its own.

8. Veise RZ07 Review – Best for Roommates, Roaming Friends and Property Managers

Code capacity is the story with the Veise RZ07. More than 250 user codes, plus remote eKey sharing, plus a free web portal where you can see the access history. This is the lock for a building where people cycle through faster than you can delete profiles.

It shares the same fast 0.2-second self-learning fingerprint as the KS02A and stores up to 50 prints. Seven unlock methods cover fingerprint, app, web, fobs, code, eKey and mechanical key. Two IC cards and two keys are in the box.

Battery life is listed at up to 12 months, which sits between the disposable-cell locks and the Tapo’s rechargeable pack. It is BHMA and ANSI Grade 3 rated and IP55 weatherproof.

What to plan around

Remote access, voice control and Alexa or Google integration all require the Veise G2 Wi-Fi gateway, sold separately. Bluetooth on its own reaches roughly 6 feet, which covers standing at your own door but not remote unlocking from the couch.

There are also reports of motor trouble on locks that have run a couple of years. For a renter that is less catastrophic than for a homeowner, but it is a reason to keep the physical key habit strong.

Who it suits

Shared apartments with rotating roommates, small property managers running several doors, and anyone who wants a code history they can check from a browser. If you need remote unlock, buy the gateway with the lock.

9. Veise KS02A Review – Best Budget Fingerprint Lock

The Veise KS02A is the cheapest way to get fingerprint entry into an apartment door, and it is not a toy. The self-learning scanner reads in 0.2 seconds, and owners consistently report it stays accurate over time rather than degrading after a few months.

You get 20 fingerprints and 20 user codes, plus one-time access codes for guests. The anti-peeping password feature randomises the digit positions on the keypad after each digit is pressed, which stops someone reading your code over your shoulder.

Auto-lock runs on a 10 to 99 second delay, and there is also one-touch lock and a passage mode for when you have guests all weekend. Vacation mode and silent mode round it out. Battery life is listed at 365-plus days on four AA cells, which is the highest claim on this list.

Know exactly what you are not getting

There is no Wi-Fi and no Bluetooth. This lock is offline-first: keypad, fingerprint and physical key only. Remote access requires a separate gateway fob that is sold on its own, so plan for that cost before you commit to remote unlock.

Four AA batteries are not included. It is IP54 rated and rated from minus 31F to 158F, which is a wider temperature range than anything else here.

Who it suits

A renter who wants fingerprint entry, long battery life and zero subscription, and who is content to be standing at the door to open it. It is also the easiest lock here to justify to a landlord because it does very little beyond entry.

10. Sifely Model O Review – Best for Kids, Seniors and a Shared Entry

The Sifely Model O is built around the shared-home problem. It holds more than 100 fingerprints and more than 100 codes at once, which means a child coming home from school, a parent using a thumb and a visiting friend can each have their own entry without anyone sharing a single code.

Passage mode is the feature that matters most in a family home: it holds the deadbolt unlocked during specified hours so nobody has to touch a fingerprint reader at 3pm. Privacy mode does the opposite, locking out all electronic entry temporarily.

Five unlock methods cover fingerprint, keypad, app, fob and physical key. The app and web portal are free, with no subscription, and handle codes, logs, eKeys and schedules.

The trade-off

Remote access needs the Sifely Gateway, sold separately, and there is no built-in Wi-Fi. Without the gateway this is a local-only lock, which is fine at the door but means no unlocking from a phone across town.

The brand is far less established than Schlage or Yale, the review base is smaller at 828, and the public spec sheet is thinner. Those are not deal-breakers for a fingerprint keypad, but they are reasons to keep the physical key close.

Who it suits

Households where children or older relatives live in the unit, and shared apartments where a high-capacity, schedule-aware lock is worth more than remote unlock.

Are Smart Locks Allowed in Apartments? Get Written Permission First

Yes, usually, but the permission has to be explicit and it should be in writing. Most leases address alterations in a single clause, and a deadbolt swap is usually treated the same as a new handle set: allowed with notice, at your expense, and restorable when you leave.

Three questions decide it. Does the lease forbid changing locks or drilling holes? Does your building have managed-access rules that require a specific model or a landlord-supplied lock? And does your property manager expect to hold a working key to your door?

That last question is the one nobody asks, and it is the one that matters. On the home-assistant.io community forum, multiple owners explain choosing interior-only installs specifically so the landlord could not hold a key that opens the renter’s door. If your landlord wants ongoing access, tell them directly, offer them a key for the new cylinder, and photograph the change with a timestamp.

Written permission protects your deposit more than any product choice on this page. A forwarded email stating that apartment 4B may replace the deadbolt, and that the tenant will provide one key to management, ends the argument at move-out.

No-Drill vs Retrofit vs Full Replacement: Which Is Actually Lease-Safe

There are three install types, and only one of them is genuinely risk-free for a tenant.

No-drill adhesive means the lock attaches over or inside your existing lock with tape or a clamp, and nothing is removed. On this list, the CANDY HOUSE Sesame 5 is the clear example, and owners on vendor forums describe adhesive retrofit as effectively the only zero-modification option available. It is the safest choice for a strict lease, and the compromises are real: no fingerprint reader and no remote access without a hub.

Retrofit over an existing deadbolt means the smart unit mounts over the thumbturn and the existing cylinder keeps working from outside. This is the category most rental guides describe as the answer. In practice on this page, only the Sesame 5 fits that definition, so read install-type claims on other roundups with care.

Full deadbolt replacement is what the other nine do, and the important detail is that they reuse the bore already cut in your door. The installation kits include a latch, strike and mounting screws, which is what you would need to fill an existing hole. So no new holes get drilled. But the exterior cylinder does change, which means the landlord’s key stops working.

That distinction is the whole argument in miniature. Replacing a deadbolt is a lease negotiation, not a renovation. If you have written permission and you hand over a key, it is a solved problem in almost every building.

Bluetooth vs Built-In Wi-Fi vs Hub-Required in Apartment Buildings

Connectivity is where apartment living gets specific. A house has one router in a central hallway. An apartment has a router on the tenant’s own side of the building wall, and possibly a building network you have no admin rights to touch.

Built-in Wi-Fi locks on this list include the ULTRALOQ Bolt SE, the Schlage Encode Smart WiFi, the eufy C220, the Tapo DL110 and the Wyze Bolt v2. These are the easiest for renters, because the lock talks to your own router and nothing else has to be installed. All of them are 2.4GHz only, which usually means adjusting one setting in your router admin page.

Bluetooth-only locks work when your phone is at the door. That is genuinely useful and genuinely limited: it covers daily entry but not remote unlock, and it depends on the phone app behaving.

Hub-required locks include the Aqara U100 on Zigbee 3.0, the Veise RZ07 on the Veise G2 gateway, the Veise KS02A on an optional gateway fob, and the Sifely Model O on the Sifely Gateway. A Matter over Thread hub is the one worth buying deliberately, because it makes the lock work natively across ecosystems instead of through a vendor cloud.

Two practical warnings. Never place a hub on shared building infrastructure without permission, and expect it to be the first thing that stops working when the building internet has an outage, since it sits between you and a locked door. If you want a lock that keeps working when the internet drops, buy built-in Wi-Fi with a mechanical key, not a hub.

One more thing worth knowing for short-term rentals and Airbnb-style units: we have covered those setups separately in our smart lock guide for Airbnbs, which focuses on remote check-in and auto-expiring codes rather than lease rules.

What to Check Before You Buy a Smart Lock for an Apartment

Most failed smart lock installs come down to a door that did not match the lock. Five checks will tell you in about ten minutes whether any lock on this list will work.

Identify what you have. Open the door and look at the edge. A round cylinder above and below a flat thumbturn is a standard single-cylinder deadbolt, which is what every lock here fits. A rectangular case with a separate lever is a mortise lock, and almost no consumer smart deadbolt will fit it. A knob with no separate thumbturn is a third case entirely.

Measure the backset. It is the distance from the door edge to the centre of the cylinder, and standard US residential doors are 2-1/8 inch. Smart deadbolts are built for that number, but measuring takes ten seconds and prevents the most common return.

Check door thickness and swing. Most units accept roughly 1-3/8 to 2-1/4 inch doors. Also confirm which way the door opens and that the hinges are not blocking the interior thumbturn space, which matters most for retrofit-style installs.

Count the screw holes. Most retrofit locks need a two-hole interior plate. If your existing thumbturn has a single screw in the middle, the adapter may not sit flush, which shows up as a stiff bolt.

Decide on the landlord key. Before anything else, decide whether the landlord keeps a working key. If yes, that points you at the CANDY HOUSE Sesame 5. If you are handing over a key instead, any of the nine replacements become reasonable.

Two smaller items: check that your router keeps 2.4GHz enabled if you are buying a Wi-Fi lock, and check whether the app you will use has a two-factor option and is owned by a company with a track record. Our smart lock guide for front doors goes deeper on the ownership side of that question.

The Downsides of Smart Locks for Apartments

Every one of these locks is an electronic device attached to your only entrance, and that creates failure modes a brass deadbolt does not have. Here are the real ones.

Battery life is a promise, not a guarantee. Claims range from 8 months on eight AA cells to 365-plus days on four. Heavy daily use, cold weather and a door that swings hard all cut that short. The honest pattern across owner reports is that you will replace batteries more often than the box suggests, and disposable batteries are a recurring cost nobody mentions.

You can lock yourself out. A dead motor, a flat battery or a failed fingerprint read at 11pm is a locksmith visit. This is why every lock here keeps a physical key or interior thumbturn, and why we rank the USB-C emergency ports on the Tapo DL110, the Aqara U100 and the Wyze Bolt v2 as real safety features rather than conveniences.

Programming can be lost. Property managers running these locks in rental buildings report locks forgetting their programming after a battery change. Codes and enrolled fingerprints are the most common casualties. A lock that forgets your dog’s walker code is a lock that will be rekeyed or replaced.

Apps and companies do not last forever. If a vendor stops supporting its cloud, a lock that depends on remote unlock stops doing that job. Local entry almost always survives. Remote unlock is the fragile part, which is a reason the Sesame 5 and the KS02A still open with a key after everything else stops working.

Landlord friction is real. Some landlords install their own smart locks and charge tenants a monthly fee for their own front door. Some building managers announce a mandatory lock swap with a few days notice. Know your lease before you buy, not after.

Fingerprint privacy in a shared apartment is unresolved. Whoever administers the lock can delete other people’s prints. In a home with a live-in partner this matters, and it is worth agreeing in advance who holds the admin account. The Aqara U100 stores prints with local AES encryption, which narrows the exposure but does not answer the governance question.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict: Which Apartment Smart Lock Fits Your Lease

If your lease forbids touching the door, the CANDY HOUSE Sesame 5 is the answer, because it is the only lock here that mounts on adhesive over the deadbolt you already own and leaves the landlord’s key working. For everyone else, the ULTRALOQ Bolt SE is our pick for 2026: seven unlock methods, 50 prints, 50 codes, built-in Wi-Fi and Matter over Thread in one unit.

Take the Tapo DL110 if battery reliability and BHMA Grade 2 security matter more than app polish. Take the Schlage Encode Smart WiFi if you need 100 simultaneous codes and a lifetime mechanical warranty. Take the Aqara U100 inside an Apple Home setup, the eufy C220 for the best fingerprint value, and the Wyze Bolt v2 if you already run Wyze cameras.

Whichever you pick, get the permission in writing, hand over a key, and take the original lock with you when you move. For the rest of your apartment’s fit-out, our guides to folding bikes for apartment living and compact treadmills for small spaces cover the other half of the space problem.