Smart Lock Installation in Annapolis, MD

Will a smart lock suit your Annapolis door?

Most smart lock installation swaps a retrofit lock in for a standard bored deadbolt, so a side door or a garage-entry door is often the simplest place to start. Older doors may carry a mortise lock set into the door edge, which needs a smart lock built for mortise bodies or a retrofit that keeps the existing cylinder.

In the Historic District

City Code section 21.56.040 sends exterior changes to structures in the historic district to the Historic Preservation Commission for a certificate of approval, and the design manual says the commission's review covers door replacements. A keypad on a street-facing door is visible from the sidewalk, so ask the Historic Preservation Division before you buy whether it needs an application. A model that mounts on the inside and leaves the exterior hardware in place is another option to raise. This is general information, not legal advice.

Shared buildings and rentals

In a house holding several apartments, like the Eastport example in the comprehensive plan, the shared street door is a question for the owner. Tenants should read the lease and ask the landlord before changing a unit lock, since the landlord will want a working key or code as well. Residents of public housing should ask the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis first. Landlords can treat a code like a key: delete it at each move-out.

Weather, batteries and a backup key

NOAA describes warm, humid Maryland summers, so choose a model made for exterior doors and mount the keypad under an overhang where the door allows. Cold shortens battery life, and a dead lock on a snowy morning is a poor surprise, so replace batteries on a schedule instead of waiting for the low-battery warning. Keep a mechanical key that works with the lock, and leave a copy with a relative or neighbor outside the house. Once the lock is in, lock rekeying can bring other doors onto the same key.

In a request, give the door material, the lock now on it, whether the door faces a public sidewalk, and whether you own or rent. For the wider city picture, see Annapolis.