Smart locks & British Insurance standards

Smart locks & British Insurance standards

Smart locks are not exactly a new idea. They have been around for a good while now, but some operate on a latch type system built with the American customer in mind. It has been hard to find smart locks that meet British Insurance Standards and do not reduce your overall security.

The trouble with latch type locks is that there is an effortless way to bypass them called “slipping.” Unless you have an auto deadlocking latch with a British Standard Kite mark, your door should always have a second lock with a bolt that throws when you turn the key. Or you can have a mechanism that throws out all sorts of hooks and bolts when you lift the handle, and these have been especially hard to get decent smart locks for. You have been able to get handle sets with codes and proximity tags, but these have been expensive, work with limited mechanisms and prone to break downs.

So, I have been quietly watching a couple of brands for a couple of years. I have fitted these smart locks hesitantly keeping prepared for any early development issues. The wait has been worth it because the brands have improved quality and flexibility.

We now have smart locks that will work on all doors. UPVC, Wood or metal doors. You can open your doors via an app, a keypad, a fob, or your smart speaker.

Think of a disabled person who wants security but needs care. A combination of smart doorbell and smart lock linked to your favourite assistant device means the door can be locked, they can see who is coming to the door and decide whether to open it or not all without having to get up. If they have a fall, their emergency contact can open the door remotely, meaning ambulance crews do not have to wait for a locksmith to come or must smash a window to get in.

Keycodes

Holiday let owners can change keycodes more often, giving cleaners and workers secondary codes and guests a code that only lasts the duration of their stay. This can vastly reduce the situations where guests lose keys or lock them inside the property.

Landlords who really should change the locks with changes of tenants, can now simply change the code.

Small businesses can install locks and not have to worry about staff who leave and keep hold of keys.

There are many reasons to have smart locks. If you are interested, I can tailor a set up to your needs. There is no cost for a consultation and never any hard sell. Simply give me a call, send a text or an email. You can find the details of contact on my home page.

Thanks for reading.