Live data from Hacker News

Tenants win right to physical keys over smart locks from landlords

cnet.com

1–10 of 367 posts

Re: Tenants win right to physical keys over smart locks from landlords

#2
Good

Having an internet connection up is less essential than, you know, being let into your home.

Smart locks are "acceptable" (with caveats) as long as they have a physical key override.

People forget how reliable old solutions are. Maybe they will remind after getting locked out a couple of times.

Re: Tenants win right to physical keys over smart locks from landlords

#3

Good Having an internet connection up is less essential than, you know, being let into your home. Smart locks are "acceptable" (with caveats) as long as they have a physical key override . People forget how reliable old solutions are. Maybe they will remind after getting locked out a couple of times.

Let's not forget the time-proven insecurity of your average IoT device, coupled to generally terrible security practices in (any given organisation)... I'd rather deal with physical keys.

Whoever is in control of your API keys is opaque for the tenants. If you think your physical keys are compromised you can just replace the cylinder.

Re: Tenants win right to physical keys over smart locks from landlords

#5
Most house locks are trivial to pick in about 30 seconds, and what I've seen of "smart" locks isn't much better.

I think if you were really serious about preventing intruders (rather than discouraging opportunism) you need alarms and cameras and someone with a big stick.

Re: Tenants win right to physical keys over smart locks from landlords

#6
post #5

Most house locks are trivial to pick in about 30 seconds, and what I've seen of "smart" locks isn't much better. I think if you were really serious about preventing intruders (rather than discouraging opportunism) you need alarms and cameras and someone with a big stick.

How about having some actually solid walls and doors first instead of the cardboard-like materials of many US apartment buildings?

Re: Tenants win right to physical keys over smart locks from landlords

#7
post #5

Most house locks are trivial to pick in about 30 seconds, and what I've seen of "smart" locks isn't much better. I think if you were really serious about preventing intruders (rather than discouraging opportunism) you need alarms and cameras and someone with a big stick.

> Most house locks are trivial to pick in about 30 seconds

How many training seconds are required to be able to manage an average of 30 seconds? Or do you mean destructive? If yes, is it loud?

Maybe the American locks are different (doubt it) but as a casual lockpicker I can say it's not as trivial as you make it sound. Or if you're talking about destructive methods rather than picking, that's still better than an electronic lock where you potentially never know if someone managed to bypass it. It might also be done or at least prepared remotely (no need to spend at least a few minutes single pin picking the door, or making noise destroying it).

Re: Tenants win right to physical keys over smart locks from landlords

#9
post #5

Most house locks are trivial to pick in about 30 seconds, and what I've seen of "smart" locks isn't much better. I think if you were really serious about preventing intruders (rather than discouraging opportunism) you need alarms and cameras and someone with a big stick.

Let my big stick be the law. And in that regard, this matters.

Actually, the law only ever matters where protection is “inadequate”, as per your definition. If we all lived in bunkers and had a personal protection detail, we wouldn’t need any of those laws. But we’d waste endless amounts of money, and ultimately failing the second any aggressor is able to outspent us even just temporary, or surprising us.

Post reply on HN