Smart Lock Installation in Albany, NY

Do Albany doors suit a smart lock?

Pine Hills was one of the first Albany neighborhoods to develop along more suburban lines, and Buckingham Lake is mainly single-family homes. A detached house is the simplest fit for a smart lock: the owner makes the call, and a side or garage door is a good spot for a keypad that family or a dog walker can use. Most smart deadbolts replace a standard deadbolt in a standard bore, so an older door with a mortise lock may need a different model or some door work first.

Albany's row houses and two- to four-unit buildings raise a second question: who controls the door. A tenant who wants a smart lock will want the landlord's approval, and would usually fit it to the unit door rather than the shared entrance. Section 133-60 of the Albany City Code bars hollow-core apartment doors, which helps, since a solid door gives a keypad lock a firm mount. City occupancy inspections also confirm that no exit needs a key to open from inside, so keep a plain thumb-turn on the inside. This is general information, not legal advice.

Cold and batteries

State climate data put New York's average annual temperatures at about 40°F in the Adirondacks and about 55°F around New York City. An annual average hides January, when alkaline batteries lose capacity and an outdoor keypad may warn of a low battery sooner than it would in July. Change batteries before winter, choose a model made for outdoor use, and brush snow and ice off the keypad instead of pressing through it.

Keep a key

Choose a smart lock that still has a key cylinder, and keep one key somewhere other than inside the house. A dead battery should never be the only thing between you and a lockout.

What to include in a request

• a photo of the door edge and the current lock
• the door's thickness and whether it is original to the house
• whether you own the home or need landlord approval
• the app or home system you plan to use, if any

See smart lock installation and the Albany page.