Smart Lock Installation in Savannah, GA

Does your Savannah door suit a smart lock?

Most retail smart locks are made for doors already drilled for a standard deadbolt: one large hole through the face and a smaller one in the edge. A newer or replaced door usually has that preparation. Older doors are less predictable. In the Victorian and Streetcar historic districts, a door may hold a mortise lock instead, and only some smart locks are made to fit one. Send photos of the lock and the door edge so a compatible model can be matched before you buy.

Exterior changes in those two districts carry one more step. Under Sections 7.9 and 7.11 of the City of Savannah Zoning Ordinance, preservation staff at the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) review exterior work that does not go to the Historic Preservation Commission. If a keypad or new handleset would change how the front door looks, ask MPC staff whether it needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before it goes on.

Renters and shared buildings

Under the Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook, from the Department of Community Affairs, a lease will typically require the landlord's permission before locks are changed, and renters make up just over half of Savannah households, by 2024 Census Bureau estimates. For a smart lock, get approval in writing, agree how the landlord will get in, by key or by code, and keep the original lock in case the lease asks for it back. A smart lock on your unit door does not change a building's shared entry system. This is general information, not legal advice.

Heat, humidity and batteries

In NOAA's Georgia summary, summers are long, hot and humid. Heat shortens battery life, and a keypad on a door in full afternoon sun runs hotter than one shaded by a porch. Change batteries as summer starts rather than waiting for a low-battery warning, and choose a model made for outdoor weather.

Keep a key

Pick a lock with a keyed cylinder or another mechanical override, and keep that key where you can reach it from outside, such as with a neighbor, in case the batteries run flat or the lock loses its connection after a storm. See smart lock installation, lock rekeying for your other keyed doors, and the Savannah page.