At A Glance
- Upgrading your apartment front door lock is a great deterrent to almost any criminal entrant
- Do not rely upon the main entrance to be secure enough: protect your own front door first
- Upgrade to a Yale, high-security or smart lock front door for lasting peace of mind
- Add secondary locks like door chains and night latches for additional protection
- Review your locks regularly and look for weaknesses or potential upgrades
In an apartment building, no lock mechanism is more important than your front door lock. The front door lock is not the main entrance into the foyer of your apartment building – it’s the first line of defence into your apartment. While the building owner needs to invest in high-quality access control for the front entrance to the apartment, you need to make upgrading your front door lock a priority.
Whether you choose to invest in a standard Yale front door lock or go down the route of a smart lock front door, upgrading your front door lock is essential. This guide, inspired by insights we gleaned from expert staff at UK based Locks & Hardware, will help you to understand the crucial role your front door lock plays. Apartment entrances require a reliable locking mechanism; reliance on the main entrance is insufficient.
Let’s take a closer look at the crucial role a front door lock plays in apartment security.
Main Entrance Locks: The First Line Of Defence
Now, let’s be clear for a moment: the main entrance to your apartment building does matter. This is the main door that people walk through to enter the apartments. These are typically protected by access control systems, buzzers, and highly durable lock mechanisms that deter forced entry.
So, yes, this is the first line of defence to your own apartment doorway. However, it is important to note that, unless you own the entire apartment building, you do NOT have control over this door lock. You may request that the building owner or maintenance team repair or replace this front door lock, but you do not control it. It stands to reason, then, to ask why you should put your faith in that door alone.
No, you need a high-quality, durable front door lock. Your front door locks are for the door that leads into your apartment itself. If someone breaks through the main entrance of an apartment, they may attempt to unlock or force open any apartment doors. If you have a suitable standard of lock, they will fail.
If you stick with generic front door locks, though, the main entrance being broken into means your door could be next. What, then, are the best front door lock types for your apartment itself?
The Best Front Door Lock Types
While it would be nice to know that your building owner invests in high-security entrance locks, not all will. That means you need to look after yourself by buying a suitable exterior door lock replacement. We recommend that you focus on specific front door lock types, such as:
Yale Locks
Yale locks are always a good place to start. Yale has been around since the 1840s and remains one of the market leaders in home security. Their locks are perfect for securing your apartment door.
Yale locks are effective as a primary lock source. You can also find other locks on the market known as Yale locks, which are actually night latches. A night latch is NOT a lock we would recommend as your sole lock mechanism. When paired with a high-quality lock cylinder or mortice lock, though, it works very well. Yale locks, though, are a brand of lock that is renowned for meeting British Standards.
British Standards locks are designed to be resistant to lockpicking, lock snapping and lock bumping. Even if someone breaks through the main entrance and gets into the apartment foyer, a Yale lock should stop them from entering your apartment outright.
These are compatible with most apartment doors, though you might need a locksmith to fit the lock for you. This is especially the case if you are changing from one lock type to another, i.e. cylinder locks to mortice locks. Yale locks, though, are industry-recognised for good reason.
High-Security Locks
Today, high-security locks, such as Yale locks, will comply with British Standards. That means the lock has been independently tested to ensure it’s physically durable and resistant to most break-in methods used.
The challenge with buying high-security locks is that every apartment door is different. We would recommend contacting a local locksmith who can then go through compatible lock types that would be suitable for your apartment door. High-security locks are defined as any lock type – Euro cylinder, mortice lock, etc. – that is physically durable, tamper-resistant, and unlikely to be successfully picked.
Door Chains & Night Latches
You might also wish to think about adding secondary security to your apartment door. A door chain or night latch is a suitable complement to a high-security lock, such as a Yale lock. While they are not durable enough to be used on their own, they can serve as an ideal secondary security measure.
If someone attempts to pick your apartment door lock, a chain or night latch helps keep them at bay until the police arrive. It gives you extra peace of mind alongside your normal Yale lock or high-security lock.
Smart Locks
Of course, smart locks are also a great feature for any front door lock. They should actually be the lock of choice for the main entrance to the apartment building. However, they are increasingly popular for apartment front door locks, too!
Smart locks eschew the need for keys, instead using phone apps, keycards, PIN codes and even biometric scans to open/close the door. You can often manage these remotely as well, which is ideal if you need to let someone in, such as a dog walker or tradesperson, working on your apartment. While they will cost more than even the best Yale locks, a smart lock for the front door is an excellent deterrent.
Review Your Front Door Lock Regularly
With a combination of the above, you should find it much easier to protect your apartment door. Do not rely on the building operator or owner installing top-of-the-range locks on the apartment entrance.
Invest in the best front door lock you can so that even if the main entrance is broken through, your door still stands strong in the face of impact, assault, or lockpicking. Conduct regular testing and reviews of your locks to determine whether they meet the standards you expect.
Unsure if your locks are up to scratch? Contact a local locksmith for their professional insight into which front door lock would be best for you. Do not wait until a break-in – take action today!
