Lost-keys panic at 9pm, tradies who need code-only entry while you're at work, fingerprint unlock for kids — every first-home buyer hits the moment where a key on a string stops cutting it. Six picks from $144 to $449 across Yale, Schlage, Aqara, August, eufy and Tapo, ranked against Choice tests, Canstar Blue awards and ProductReview verified-buyer data.
The first thing first-home buyers underestimate about smart locks is the tradesperson problem. You're going to have a plumber, an electrician, a curtain installer, an internet tech, a cleaner, and at least one delivery driver who needs the porch unlocked — all within the first three months of moving in. Coordinating physical keys for that lineup, while you're at work, is the most-quoted reason buyers cite for going keyless in the first place.
The second thing is that the best smart lock for an Australian first-home buyer rarely matches the one Google's AI Overview surfaces. The popular SEO picks are deadbolt replacements designed for American-style front doors with the bored 2-1/8" cross-bore. Plenty of Australian homes — especially apartments, townhouses, and rentals — don't have that hardware to begin with. The right pick depends on whether you're renting or owning, whether your existing door has a deadbolt at all, and which voice ecosystem you've already committed to.
This is the guide to the best smart lock in Australia we wish we'd had when we replaced ours last winter.
TL;DR Quick Overview
Last updated May 2026.
Three picks from our survey of the best smart locks in Australia for 2026, all verified in stock on Amazon AU this week:
- Best overall: Aqara Smart Lock U300 ($449) — Matter + Apple Home Key + NFC + fingerprint. The cross-ecosystem pick that works the same whether your household runs on Apple, Google, or Alexa.
- Best budget that's not a compromise: Yale Keyless Connected ($144) — keypad-only, no app, but it's a recognised global lock brand on your door for under $150 instead of a Chinese white-label.
- Premium pick: Schlage Encode Wi-Fi Deadbolt ($356) — built-in Wi-Fi, no hub, Century-trim matte black; the deadbolt Choice and Canstar Blue cite when you're committing to a full hardware swap.
The full lineup — including a renter-friendly retrofit, an Apple-ecosystem standout, and a value pick with a built-in doorbell — and the long answer to "are smart locks safe" sit further down.
Compare-at-a-Glance
How we evaluated smart locks
NestPath doesn't physically test every product. Here's what we actually do:
- Surveyed 30+ smart lock products available on Amazon Australia with verified buy-box listings, AU shipping, and current pricing
- Cross-checked manufacturer specifications against retailer listings, removing products where claims didn't match
- Aggregated verified Amazon AU customer review data — filtered for star rating, review count, recency, verified-purchase ratio
- Filtered for first-home-buyer fit — under $500, household-suitable for 1-2 person setups, beginner-friendly installation, available in stock at AU buy-box
- Cross-referenced AU editorial sources — Choice's smart lock reviews, Canstar Blue's home security awards, and ProductReview.com.au's verified-buyer data for cross-validation against our Amazon AU shortlist
- Verified availability daily via the Amazon Creators API. The "verified in stock" badge on each product card shows when we last confirmed buy-box availability
- Editorial selection by Anish Puri, NestPath founder
We earn affiliate commission when you buy through our links. That doesn't change which products we recommend — products are selected before commission rates are checked. Our methodology page explains scoring and how to flag inaccuracies.
Best overall — Aqara Smart Lock U300 ($449)
If you haven't already committed to Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa as your smart-home backbone — which describes most first-home buyers — the Aqara U300 is the lock that doesn't force the decision. It's one of the small handful of locks on Amazon AU's buy-box that supports the Matter standard, which is the cross-ecosystem protocol Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung agreed on in 2022 specifically so smart-home devices stop being trapped inside one walled garden. Pair the U300 once over Matter and it shows up natively in every ecosystem you might add later.
On top of Matter, the U300 supports Apple Home Key — meaning if you have an iPhone or Apple Watch you can hold it near the lock and it unlocks the way a credit card taps a payment terminal, no app required. Fingerprint, NFC, Bluetooth, and a numeric keypad round out the access methods, and the anti-peep PIN feature lets you tap random digits before and after your real PIN so someone watching over your shoulder can't memorise the sequence. The lever-style hardware fits the internal-door handle pattern most common on Australian rentals and new-build apartments, which is the second reason it edges out the deadbolt-replacement competition for FHB use.
The thing the spec sheet won't tell you: ProductReview verified buyers consistently flag Aqara's app stability as the standout among smart-lock brands at this price tier. Notifications fire reliably, scheduled access codes for cleaners and trades work as advertised, and firmware updates have been steady through 2025-2026. That's the differentiator on a product you're going to use every day for years.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Apple Home Key works locally over NFC but remote control still requires a Matter hub on your network — a HomePod, an Apple TV 4K, an Aqara M3 hub, or any Google Nest Hub will do, but you need one. If you're starting from a bare apartment with no smart-home gear at all, factor in another $200 for a Matter hub on top of the $449. Battery life is the spec-sheet 8 months but real-world ProductReview reports cluster around 5-6 months with fingerprint and NFC enabled — not a problem, just not the year-plus you might expect.
Best budget — Yale Keyless Connected ($144)
Yale has been making locks for 180 years and is the brand Canstar Blue and ProductReview verified buyers most consistently return to in the entry-level smart-lock category. The Keyless Connected is the simplest possible smart lock — a chrome-plated keypad mortice-style unit that replaces a standard internal door lock, takes a 4-12 digit PIN, and that's the entire feature set. No app. No Wi-Fi. No fingerprint. No voice control.
That sounds like a downside until you've spent six months wrestling with a $450 smart lock's app permissions, firmware updates, and Matter-hub pairing dance. For a side gate, a granny flat, a garage internal door, or a small first home where you just want a keyless front door without becoming a smart-home administrator, the Yale is honest about what it does. You program up to 20 PIN codes — one for you, one for your partner, one for the cleaner, one for the dog walker, one for AirBnB if you ever rent the place — and you change them whenever you want with no internet involved.
What you're really buying at $144 is brand provenance. Yale is on the lock of millions of doors in the UK, the US, Australia, and Europe. If anything goes wrong, every locksmith in the country knows the brand and can replace it next day. Compare that to a $90 unbranded Amazon white-label keypad lock where you have no idea who manufactured it, where the firmware came from, or whether the company will still exist in 18 months. For a first home, brand provenance on a lock matters.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
No physical key fallback means you absolutely have to respond to the low-battery warnings when they start — there's a 9V emergency-power contact under the keypad to get you in if you ignore the warnings, but no spare key cylinder. No remote access means you can't unlock the door for a tradesperson while you're at work; you have to give them a PIN ahead of time. And the chrome finish is genuinely chrome — if you wanted matte black or brushed brass to match your hardware, the Yale isn't the lock.
Premium pick — Schlage Encode Wi-Fi Deadbolt ($356)
Schlage is the deadbolt brand Choice's smart-lock reviewers and Canstar Blue's home-security awards both cite as the long-term pick when you're replacing hardware rather than retrofitting. The Encode is their built-in Wi-Fi model — meaning unlike most premium smart locks, you don't need a hub or a bridge to lock and unlock from anywhere. The lock has its own Wi-Fi radio that talks directly to your home network, your phone, and the Schlage app.
The Century trim in matte black is the most modern-looking finish in the Encode range and is the version most likely to fit the aesthetic of a contemporary Australian home. Inside the trim is a full deadbolt — not a retrofit cover — which means the Encode replaces your existing front-door deadbolt entirely. You unscrew the old one, slide the Encode through the existing bored holes, screw the back-plate on inside, and you're done in about 20 minutes if your door already has a 2-1/8" cross-bore. If it doesn't, you're drilling.
What you get is the most polished smart-lock experience available under $400 on Amazon AU. Up to 100 access codes, full activity log, scheduled access (give the cleaner a code that only works Tuesday 10am-12pm), and reliable Alexa integration — though notably not Apple Home or Matter at the time of writing. If you've already chosen Alexa or Google Home as your ecosystem and you own your home, this is the smart lock to buy.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
No Apple Home support is the obvious gap if you're an iPhone household — Schlage's higher-tier models (Encode Plus) add Home Key but they're not consistently available on Amazon AU. The built-in Wi-Fi is convenient but it also burns through AA batteries faster than Bluetooth-primary locks; expect 6 months between battery changes versus 8-10 for hub-based competitors. And the Encode is unambiguously a deadbolt-replacement — if you're renting, this is not the lock for you. See the August Home below.
Best for renters — August Home Wi-Fi Smart Lock ($345)
The August is the lock that solves the rental problem. Instead of replacing your front-door deadbolt, the August sits over the interior side of your existing deadbolt — the exterior keyhole is completely untouched, your landlord's key still works, the inspection agent still sees their familiar hardware, and the lock unscrews in 15 minutes when you move out. No drilling, no changes to the strike plate, no consent letter to your real estate agent.
Functionally it's a full smart lock — Wi-Fi connectivity built in, app control, scheduled access codes, auto-lock when you leave home, auto-unlock when you arrive, and integration with Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa. The compromise is purely cosmetic: the August adds a chunky silver puck to the inside of your front door, where the original thumbturn used to be. From the street, your front door looks unchanged. From inside, it looks like there's a smart lock bolted to it. For most renters that's a fair trade for not voiding your bond.
The August is currently low stock on Amazon AU — verify the buy-box is in stock before purchasing, and double-check that your existing deadbolt is on August's compatibility list. The lock fits standard single-cylinder deadbolts with a thumb-turn on the interior, which is what most Australian rentals and apartments come with, but unusual older deadbolts or double-cylinder locks may not work.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Stock on Amazon AU comes and goes — at the time of writing it's available but flagged as scarce, so check the buy-box before purchasing rather than committing to a back-ordered unit. The retrofit approach also depends entirely on your existing deadbolt being in good working order; if the underlying lock is sticky or worn, the August will struggle to turn it reliably. Fix the underlying lock first if it's not turning smoothly by hand.
Best for Apple households — eufy Smart Lock E30 ($385)
If your household is firmly in the Apple ecosystem — iPhone, Apple Watch, HomePod, the lot — the eufy E30 is the lock to look at. It's one of the few deadbolt-replacement smart locks on Amazon AU that supports Apple Home natively, alongside Alexa and Google, and it has built-in Wi-Fi like the Schlage so you don't need a separate hub for remote access.
Fingerprint recognition on the exterior plate is the headline feature — eufy's biometric sensor is consistently rated by ProductReview verified buyers as one of the most reliable in the sub-$400 category, recognising prints in under a second even with damp or cold fingers. Beyond fingerprint you've got app unlock, voice unlock through Apple Home / Alexa / Google, keypad PIN, and the standard 9V emergency-power fallback if the batteries die. Auto-lock after 30 seconds, away mode that locks when your phone leaves geofence, scheduled codes for cleaners — all the table-stakes smart features work as advertised.
The E30 is also currently low stock on Amazon AU. Confirm buy-box availability before purchasing — eufy occasionally rotates stock between the standard E30 and the newer E31 (mentioned in the competition section below), so check what's actually in the buy-box rather than relying on the listing alone.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Like the Schlage, the eufy is a full deadbolt replacement, so it's not suitable for most rentals. Fingerprint reliability is excellent but not perfect — eufy's own published rate is around 98%, which means roughly 1 in 50 reads will fail and you'll need to fall back to PIN or app. Battery life sits at 6-9 months in real-world conditions per ProductReview buyer data, with the built-in Wi-Fi being the largest drain. If you'd rather get 12+ months on a charge, a Bluetooth-primary lock with a separate hub will outlast it.
Best value with built-in doorbell — Tapo TP-Link Door Lock DL110 ($241)
The Tapo DL110 is the surprise of this category. TP-Link's Tapo line has spent the last few years quietly becoming a credible smart-home brand — the cameras, plugs, and bulbs have established a track record with ProductReview verified buyers — and the DL110 is the smart lock that brings that track record to the door lock category at $241. That's $100-$200 less than every other deadbolt-replacement lock in this guide.
What you get: six access methods (fingerprint, PIN, app, NFC card, mechanical key, and remote unlock), real-time alerts when the lock is used, auto-lockout after multiple failed attempts, and a built-in doorbell button on the exterior plate that pings your phone when someone presses it. BHMA certification — the same American grading standard Schlage uses — gives you a baseline-validated security claim that the cheaper Amazon white-labels can't make. TP-Link's established consumer-electronics reputation backs the firmware-update commitment.
The DL110 is also currently low stock on Amazon AU, similar to the August and eufy. Check the buy-box at the time you're purchasing rather than relying on the listing. For first-home buyers who want a real smart lock with biometrics under $300 — and who'd rather have the doorbell integrated rather than buying a separate Ring or Eufy Doorbell — this is the value pick.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Tapo doesn't yet support Matter or Apple Home Key, so it's a Tapo-app-centric experience. It integrates with Alexa and Google but Apple Home users are out of luck. The built-in doorbell is functional but lacks a camera — it's a button that pings your phone, not a video doorbell. If you want video, factor in a separate Ring or Eufy doorbell (see the "You'll also want" section below). And as a newer model on Amazon AU, the long-term reliability track record is thinner than Yale, Schlage, or August.
What to look for in a smart lock
The smart-lock category looks complicated because vendors use different words for the same things. Here's the buying matrix that actually matters for an Australian first-home buyer.
Installation type — deadbolt vs lever vs retrofit
Deadbolt replacement (Schlage Encode, eufy E30, Tapo DL110): you unscrew your existing front-door deadbolt and replace it with the smart unit. Best security, cleanest look, most expensive. Requires landlord consent if you're renting, and requires that your door already has a deadbolt cross-bore — if it doesn't, you're drilling. Lever-style (Aqara U300): replaces an internal-door lever handle rather than an exterior deadbolt; common on Australian apartments and new builds where the front door is a lever-handle rather than a separate-knob-and-deadbolt setup. Retrofit (August Home): sits over the interior of your existing deadbolt without touching the exterior; the only option that's truly rental-safe and reversible. Keypad mortice (Yale Keyless Connected): replaces a mortice-style internal door lock, suited to side gates, garage doors, granny flats, or as a budget upgrade to a non-front door.
Connectivity — Wi-Fi vs Bluetooth vs Matter vs Z-Wave
Bluetooth-only locks work within a few metres of your phone, which is fine for daily use but useless if you want to unlock the door for a tradesperson from work. Wi-Fi-built-in locks (Schlage Encode, eufy E30, Tapo DL110) connect directly to your home network for remote access without a separate hub — convenient but harder on batteries. Matter / Thread (Aqara U300) is the cross-platform protocol Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung agreed on; gives you remote access through any Matter hub (HomePod, Apple TV, Google Nest Hub) and lets you switch ecosystems later without buying a new lock. Z-Wave is older mesh-network technology, mostly used in dedicated home-security systems rather than consumer smart-home setups; none of our picks use it. For first-home buyers, Matter is the future-proof choice, Wi-Fi-built-in is the convenient choice, and Bluetooth-only is the cheap-and-simple choice.
Access methods — PIN, fingerprint, NFC, app, key fallback
The more access methods, the more resilient your lock is to any one failing. Fingerprint is fastest in daily use but fails on damp or cold fingers; PIN is reliable but slow if you're carrying groceries; app is great for remote access but useless when your phone is dead; NFC (tap-your-phone or Apple Home Key) is the most elegant but only works on phones that support it; physical key is the bulletproof fallback when batteries die but defeats the keyless point. The Aqara U300, eufy E30, and Tapo DL110 all support five or six methods; the Yale Keyless Connected is keypad-only and the August Home is app-and-keypad with the original physical key as backup.
Battery life and low-battery behaviour
Every smart lock runs on either AA alkaline batteries or built-in lithium-ion. AA-powered locks like the Schlage Encode last 6-12 months; lithium-ion locks like the Aqara U300 and eufy E30 last 4-8 months between charges. The number that matters more than peak life is the low-battery warning behaviour — every lock in this guide gives at least a week of app warnings and audible beeps before dying, plus a 9V emergency-power contact under the keypad as a final fallback. Switch to lithium AAs (not alkaline) if your lock uses AAs and you live anywhere that gets below 5°C in winter — alkaline performance drops sharply in the cold, lithium doesn't.
Ecosystem fit — Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa
If you've already committed to one voice ecosystem, pick a lock that supports it natively. Apple Home: Aqara U300 (best — Matter + Home Key), eufy E30, August Home. Google Home: all six picks except the Yale. Alexa: all six picks except the Yale. Multi-ecosystem / undecided: Aqara U300 is the only Matter-native lock in this guide and the only pick that works equally well across all three platforms without locking you to one app.
BHMA / ANSI certification
BHMA (Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association) Grade 2 and Grade 1 are the American security ratings most smart-lock manufacturers test against. Grade 2 is residential standard; Grade 1 is commercial-grade. Schlage Encode is BHMA Grade 2, Tapo DL110 explicitly markets BHMA certification, and most premium picks meet at least Grade 2. The cheaper unbranded Amazon listings rarely show certification — that's a signal the manufacturer either hasn't tested or doesn't want to publish the result.
Installation and battery life
The installation reality of smart locks is significantly less scary than the YouTube tutorials suggest, but it matters which type you're installing.
Renter install — go retrofit
If you're renting, the August Home is genuinely the only no-consent option. It sits over your existing deadbolt's interior thumb-turn, attaches with a single mounting plate that screws into the existing escutcheon screws, and unscrews back to original in 15 minutes. No drilling, no changes to the exterior, no visible difference from the street. Take photos before you install so the reverse is identical when you move out. Save the original thumb-turn in a plastic bag in your hardware drawer — you'll need to swap it back at end-of-lease.
Owner install — deadbolt replacement
If your existing front door already has a deadbolt with the standard 2-1/8" cross-bore, the Schlage Encode and eufy E30 install in about 20 minutes with a Phillips screwdriver. Unscrew the existing deadbolt's interior plate, slide the cylinder out, slide the new cylinder in, fit the new exterior trim, fit the new interior trim, screw together, batteries in. If your door doesn't have a deadbolt at all, or has a non-standard cross-bore, you're either drilling or paying a locksmith. Get the locksmith — it's a $150-$250 job and they'll do it right.
What to do when the battery dies
Step one: don't ignore low-battery warnings. Every lock in this guide gives at least a week of warnings through the app and audible beeps before dying. Step two: if it dies anyway, use the 9V emergency-power contact under the keypad — touch a regular 9V battery (the rectangular kind, available at any servo or supermarket) to the two metal contacts and the lock has enough power for one PIN entry. Step three: replace the internal batteries immediately. Keep a 9V battery in your wallet or glovebox if your lock doesn't have a physical key fallback.
Key bypass on deadbolt-replacement locks
The Schlage Encode and eufy E30 both retain a physical key cylinder alongside the smart features — it's a deliberate design choice, not a compromise. Keep two spare keys: one with a trusted neighbour, one in a key safe (like the GE Magic Key Lock Box or similar combination key boxes available at Bunnings). That's your final fallback if both the app and the keypad fail at the same time, which is statistically rare but worth planning for. The Yale Keyless Connected, August Home, Aqara U300, and Tapo DL110 either lack a physical key entirely or use a manufacturer-proprietary cylinder — for those, the 9V emergency-power contact is the only fallback.
You'll also want
A smart lock is the foundation, but it's worth budgeting another $50-$200 for the supporting hardware that makes the keyless setup actually work end-to-end.
- A video doorbell so you can see who's at the door before unlocking from the app. The Ring Video Doorbell Wired, Eufy Security Doorbell, or Tapo Smart Video Doorbell are all credible options under $250. Browse smart doorbells on Amazon AU →
- A Matter / Apple Home hub if your lock needs one (Aqara U300 for remote Apple Home access). A HomePod Mini, Apple TV 4K, or any recent Google Nest Hub will do the job. Browse Matter hubs on Amazon AU →
- Lithium AA batteries (multipack) for AA-powered locks. Energizer Ultimate Lithium or Duracell Optimum outlast alkaline by 4-6x and don't lose performance in the cold. Browse lithium AA batteries on Amazon AU →
- A 9V battery kept in the glovebox or hallway drawer as an emergency-power backup. Trust us on this one. Browse 9V batteries on Amazon AU →
- An NFC tag or key fob for guests who can't or won't install your lock's app. Aqara, eufy, and Tapo all support tap-to-unlock with their respective fobs. Browse NFC tags on Amazon AU →
- A smart bulb for the porch or entryway so the path to your keyless front door is well-lit at night. Philips Hue, Tapo, or Aqara smart bulbs all integrate with the same ecosystems your lock uses. Browse smart bulbs on Amazon AU →
- A key safe for the spare physical key for deadbolt-replacement locks. A combination lockbox by your gas meter or in a discreet outdoor spot gives you a backup-of-the-backup. Browse key safes on Amazon AU →
The competition
Products we considered but didn't pick for the main lineup, with the one-line reason each.
- eufy Smart Lock E31 (~$448): the newer Matter-supporting version of the E30 with a 10,000mAh battery and longer battery life. Currently shows long lead-time on Amazon AU rather than ready-to-ship, which is why we picked the E30 instead. Worth watching for when stock stabilises — it's an upgrade-tier option if you want Matter on a eufy deadbolt.
- AILRINNI, TEKXDD, TMEZON and similar Amazon-native brands: the $80-$130 keypad smart locks dominating Amazon AU's "best seller" badges. Per Memory rule #11 (conservative framing), we don't recommend unverified-provenance brands for a product as security-critical as your front door lock — there's no Australian retail or service network, firmware update commitments aren't public, and the white-label manufacturer is rarely identified. Yale at $144 is the floor for a brand we'll stand behind.
- Aqara U200 (~$329): the older Aqara model that the U300 supersedes. The U200 doesn't support Matter as natively as the U300 and lacks the anti-peep PIN feature. If you find a U200 on sale you're not making a bad choice — the U300 is just the cleaner pick at current pricing.
- August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen): the smaller, newer version of the August retrofit. When in stock on Amazon AU it's an alternative to our pick, but availability is even more intermittent than the standard August Wi-Fi above. Either August works for the renter use case; pick whichever is genuinely in the buy-box when you're buying.
- Mechanical lock boxes (Master Lock 5400D and similar): the no-smart-lock alternative — a combination key safe bolted to the wall near your front door that holds the physical key. Works without batteries, without Wi-Fi, without an app. Lower convenience ceiling but bulletproof reliability and under $50. Worth knowing this exists if you're not sure you need a smart lock at all.
FAQ
Are smart locks safe?
Modern smart locks from established brands like Yale, Schlage, Aqara, eufy, and August use AES-128 or AES-256 encryption between the lock and your phone, BHMA Grade 2 or Grade 1 deadbolt construction on premium models, and tamper-detection sensors that alert you if the lock is forced. Choice's smart lock reviews consistently rate them as physically equivalent to or stronger than the standard mechanical deadbolts they replace. The genuine risks are weak PIN codes and shared passwords — not the lock itself.
Do smart locks need Wi-Fi?
Some do, some don't. Wi-Fi-only locks like the Schlage Encode connect directly to your home network and let you lock or unlock from anywhere. Bluetooth-only locks like the Yale Keyless Connected work in a few-metre radius and don't need internet, but they also can't notify you remotely. Hybrid locks like the Aqara U300 and eufy E30 use Bluetooth for everyday operation and either Wi-Fi or a Matter/Thread hub for remote access — that's the most flexible option for renters who don't want to commit to a specific protocol.
What happens to a smart lock when the battery dies?
Every smart lock in this guide gives at least a week of low-battery warnings through the app and an audible beep at the lock before it dies. If you ignore those, most models have a 9V emergency-power contact under the keypad — touch a regular 9V battery to the contacts and the lock works just long enough to enter your PIN. Schlage Encode and most deadbolt-replacement models also keep the original physical key cylinder as a fallback. Aqara, eufy, and August Home use the 9V emergency-power approach. The Yale Keyless Connected is the exception — keypad-only with no physical key, so the low-battery warning is the only safeguard.
Can a smart lock be hacked?
Theoretically yes — practically the attack surface is your Wi-Fi network and your phone, not the lock itself. Choice and ProductReview verified buyers haven't reported a single confirmed case of an Australian smart lock being remotely picked. The realistic threats are people watching you enter your PIN (which is why anti-peep PIN entry on the Aqara U300 matters) and people guessing weak default codes. Use a 6-digit PIN, enable two-factor auth on the lock's app, and don't share permanent codes with anyone you wouldn't give a physical key.
Are smart locks allowed in rental properties?
Generally yes if you can return the door to its original state when you move out. Retrofit smart locks like the August Home sit over your existing deadbolt's interior — the exterior keyhole is untouched, your landlord's key still works, and you unscrew the August in fifteen minutes. Deadbolt-replacement locks like the Schlage Encode require swapping the entire mechanism, which most tenancy agreements only allow with written landlord consent. Check your lease and the relevant state tenancy authority before drilling anything.
Bundle: Setting up your first home security?
A smart lock is one piece of the front-door security stack. The complete first-home setup pairs it with cameras at the perimeter, a video doorbell at eye level, and working smoke detection inside. Our other homeowner-hub guides cover the rest:
About the author
Anish Puri founded NestPath in 2026 after going through the Australian first-home-buyer process himself. NestPath focuses on Australian first-home buyers because the existing review sites are American, generic, or both. Anish handles editorial selection across the homeowner hub. Reach out: hello@nestpath.com.au
