Smart Lock Installation in Allentown, PA

Will a smart lock fit your door?

Most smart deadbolts suit a standard round bore and a modern latch, and how well that fits an Allentown door depends on the house.

• Attached houses. About 39 percent of Allentown homes are single-family attached, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 estimates. A smart lock usually goes on the door you use every day while the other entry keeps a keyed deadbolt, so decide which door that is before you buy.
• Victorian houses. Where Victorian architecture is most common, in Jordan Heights and Old Fairgrounds, an older door may have a mortise lock or an unusual thickness. Some smart locks mount over an existing deadbolt; others need a new bore, which means drilling an original door.
• Detached houses. In a mostly detached neighborhood such as Midway Manor, a side or back door used daily may suit a keypad better than the front door.

Approvals before you install

Exterior alterations in Old Allentown and Old Fairgrounds (City Ordinance 12314) and in West Park (Ordinance 13881) require a Certificate of Appropriateness. A keypad on a street-facing door is visible hardware, so ask the city's Historic Office first, or consider a model that mounts inside. This is general information, not legal advice.

Before changing a lock in a rental, read the lease and talk to the landlord. Get any approval in writing, and agree how the landlord will get in for the inspections the city's rental registration program requires. In an apartment building, a smart lock can go only on your own unit door. For who may change locks in a rental, see the Pennsylvania landlord-tenant lock changes guide.

Winter and batteries

PennDOT counts 30 inches of average snowfall in its Berks and Lehigh district, and cold cuts battery capacity, so a keypad that faces the weather can ice over and run down.

• Change batteries each fall rather than waiting for a low-battery warning in January.
• Mount the keypad where an overhang or porch roof keeps snow and meltwater off it.
• Learn your model's backup power option before you need it.
• Keep a working mechanical key, and leave a spare with someone you know.

See smart lock installation for the service, and the Allentown page for city notes.