Smart Lock Installation in Boston, MA

Will an older door take a smart lock?

Retrofit smart locks are typically built around a standard bored deadbolt, and much of the state's housing predates that hardware: in the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey, fewer than 9 percent of Massachusetts homes were built in 2010 or later. A pre-war door with a mortise lock in a pocket in its edge may need a smart lock made for mortise hardware, or a separate deadbolt, rather than a direct swap.

Shared buildings and Beacon Hill

• Main entry doors. Under the State Sanitary Code, 105 CMR 410.270, a residence with more than three units needs a main entry door that closes and locks automatically, with limited exceptions, and the owner must give occupants keys to it. Any smart lock there has to leave the door self-locking and every household able to get in.
• Unit doors. The same code makes entry locks the owner's to maintain, so a renter should get the owner's approval before installing one.
• Beacon Hill. Exterior features open to view from a public way need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission. Its guidelines place buzzers, key keepers and intercom panels within the entryway where possible, with brass or bronze faces, and do not allow lighted or backlit panels. A keypad or panel that shows from the street is a matter to raise with the commission first.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Coastal weather and a backup key

NOAA's state climate summary calls the Massachusetts coastline highly vulnerable to nor'easters, so an exterior keypad can face wind-driven snow and spray; check that it is made for outdoor use. Batteries also deliver less power in the cold, so a low-battery warning can show up sooner in winter than in summer. Change batteries before the cold season, and keep a mechanical key with you or with someone nearby. A smart lock with a dead battery and no key override is a lockout waiting to happen.

What to include in a request

Photos of both faces of the door and its edge, the current lock type, whether it is a unit door or a shared entry, whether the owner has approved the change, and the model if already chosen. See smart lock installation, lock replacement, or the Boston page.