Smart Lock Installation in Ann Arbor, MI

Does the door suit a smart lock?

More than four in five Michigan homes were built before 2000, so a smart lock usually goes onto an older door. Before buying, confirm that the deadbolt throws smoothly without leaning on the door; a motorized bolt fighting a binding strike drains its batteries.

The oldest doors are the hardest fit. The Division Street district, the city's first historic district, is home to Greek Revival houses like the Kempf House, and the Historic District Commission's guidelines encourage keeping original doors and hardware. On a door like that, a model that fits over the existing deadbolt on the inside and leaves the outside hardware alone may suit better than drilling new holes.

Approval comes first in most Ann Arbor homes

With 54.4 percent of homes in Ann Arbor rented, a smart lock here is often a question for the landlord.

• Michigan Compiled Laws 600.2918(2)(c) lists adding to locks or other security devices, without immediately giving the person in possession a key or other unlocking device, as unlawful interference with possession. A landlord fitting a smart lock to an occupied unit should give the tenant a working way in at once; a tenant should get written agreement first.
• The city's rental pre-inspection checklist lists a privacy lock, such as a chain or hotel bar, on unit entry doors (Section 8:503), with exceptions for fraternities, sororities, ICC co-ops and certain group homes. It is listed apart from the deadbolt, so a smart deadbolt would not take its place.
• The shared building entry is usually the owner's system, not a single unit's.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Batteries, outages and a backup key

A battery-powered smart lock keeps working through a power outage, but a garage door opener or a powered building entry may not. Cold also cuts battery capacity and can slow an outdoor keypad, so change batteries before winter rather than waiting for the low-battery alert. Keep a working mechanical key, and keep it somewhere other than inside the home.

A smart deadbolt changes one lock, not the keys already out there for the rest of the house, which is lock rekeying work. Installation details are on the smart lock installation page.