I've had mixed experiences with smart locks at my historic place. Installed one thinking it'd be convenient, but battery life turned out to be a bit unpredictable—especially in colder months. Had tenants call me once at midnight because the lock died and they couldn't get in. Connectivity's been mostly solid, but honestly, tenants seem split: some love the convenience, others find it gimmicky and prefer old-school keys. I'd say keep a physical backup handy just in case... Murphy's law indeed.
Have you considered just sticking with a keypad lock instead of a fully connected smart lock? I've had one for years—no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth, just a simple battery-powered keypad. Batteries last forever, even in winter, and I've never had tenants locked out at midnight. Is the connectivity really worth the hassle and extra cost? Sometimes simpler is better...
"Sometimes simpler is better..."
Couldn't agree more. Installed plenty of smart locks for clients, and yeah, they're fancy—but I've had callbacks at odd hours due to connectivity issues or drained batteries. At my own place, I went with a basic keypad lock about six years ago. Still on the original batteries, zero lockouts, and no headaches. Sometimes tech is just one more thing that can go wrong...
Totally get this—tech can be a lifesaver, but also a real pain when it decides to glitch at the worst possible time. Had one client who got locked out at midnight... not fun. Honestly, keeping things simple often saves us from unnecessary stress. Plus, there's something reassuring about knowing your lock isn't dependent on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth behaving itself. Glad your keypad solution worked out smoothly for you; sometimes less really is more reliable!
Had a similar issue once—battery died unexpectedly, and I was stuck outside for an hour. Learned my lesson: now I keep a hidden spare key as backup. Tech's great, but redundancy is key (pun intended).
