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Renting removes the two moves that matter most in home security: changing the hardware and reinforcing the frame. Everything else is still available, and the first step costs nothing at all.
Start with the question nobody asks
Were the locks rekeyed after the previous tenant? Ask in writing, and keep the answer.
Rekeying between tenancies is required in some states and good practice everywhere, and plenty of landlords do it. Plenty do not, in which case the keys in circulation include every previous tenant, their partners, and anybody who had a copy cut. The federal victimisation data has a category for this: in unlawful entries to unoccupied homes, about 8 percent involved an offender who had a key.
If the answer is no, ask for it to be done. It is inexpensive, it protects the landlord too, and a reasonable one will agree.
What you can do without permission
- A portable door lock or travel lock, which clamps to the strike or the latch and holds the door while you are inside. No fixings, no marks.
- A door reinforcement plate that fits over the existing hardware, where it does not require new holes.
- A door jammer or security bar for a hinged door, and a charley bar or pin lock for a sliding door, both removable.
- Window pins and stops that use existing holes, or adhesive stops that leave no damage.
- Free-standing cameras on a shelf inside, rather than drilled outside.
- A plug-in door or window sensor that chimes, with no wiring.
- Lighting on timers inside, which does the occupancy job the data cares about.
What needs written permission
- Changing or adding a lock, including a retrofit smart lock that replaces the thumbturn.
- Anything screwed to the exterior: a doorbell camera, an outdoor camera, a strike plate upgrade.
- Drilling into a door or frame at all.
Ask by email, describe exactly what you want to fit, and offer two things that usually get a yes: you will pay for it, and you will restore the original hardware when you leave. Keep the original parts in a labelled bag from the day you move in.
If you fit a smart lock or a doorbell camera with permission, ask explicitly who else will have access. A landlord or property manager who holds a code, or who is a user on the camera account, changes what the device is. Get the arrangement in writing.
Cameras in shared buildings
The rules of courtesy are also the rules that prevent complaints.
- Point cameras at your own door and your own space. A camera covering a shared corridor records your neighbours’ comings and goings, which is their private life.
- Turn off audio on anything covering a shared area, and read our piece on the law around recording conversations.
- Tell the building if you fit anything visible outside your door, and check the lease and any association rules first.
- Indoors, be careful with housemates. Cameras in shared living space need everyone’s agreement, and there should be none at all in bedrooms or bathrooms.
The rest of the renter’s list
- Renters’ insurance. The landlord’s policy covers the building, not your belongings. It is one of the cheapest insurance products there is, and it usually covers theft away from home as well.
- Photograph everything valuable, with serial numbers, and keep the photos somewhere that is not only on the phone that might be stolen.
- Do not put your address on anything visible, including parcel piles and delivery boxes left in a shared hallway.
- Use the peephole or the camera before opening, and do not hold the building door for strangers carrying boxes.
- Know your own exits. In a flat or a shared house, the fire route matters more than the burglary risk, and a security bar that blocks an exit is a bad trade.
- When you leave, take the devices, restore the hardware and delete any shared access you granted.
Related reading: A Lock Rekeying Quote Needs a Complete Door List and A Sliding Door Lock Repair Starts With the Whole Door.
Questions people ask
Can I change the locks in a rental?
Generally only with the landlord's written permission, and some leases forbid it outright. Ask instead whether the locks were rekeyed after the last tenant, which is required in some states, and get the answer in writing.
What security can a renter add without drilling?
Portable door locks and bars, sliding door pin locks, window pins and stops, free-standing indoor cameras, plug-in door sensors and lights on timers. None of them leave marks and all of them come with you.
Can I install a video doorbell in an apartment?
Usually only with permission, since it means fixing something to the building, and building or association rules may apply. Point it at your own doorway rather than along a shared corridor, and keep audio off in shared spaces.
Does my landlord's insurance cover my things?
No. The landlord's policy covers the building. Your belongings need renters' insurance, which is inexpensive and typically also covers theft of your possessions away from home.
Where these figures come from
- Victimization During Household Burglary Bureau of Justice Statistics · bjs.ojp.gov
- Criminal Victimization, 2024 Bureau of Justice Statistics · bjs.ojp.gov
- Securing Your Internet-Connected Devices at Home Federal Trade Commission · consumer.ftc.gov
Figures last checked September 2026.
