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Ways to Secure a Vacant Property’s Door

In federal survey data, 73% of completed forced entries into homes with no one present involved a door, and about half involved a window. Here is how the usual ways to secure the door of a vacant property compare: who installs each one, what it costs over the months a property sits empty, and what it covers.

Five ways to secure a vacant door

Option What it costs What you get Trade-offs
InvinciBolt Lock One purchase (see current price), used again on the next property A heavy metal lock on the outside of the door with a bolt that slides into the frame, locked with a key from outside and installed by you in about 20 minutes Vacant buildings only, because it cannot be opened from inside. Covers one door, not windows or glass. Visible from the street. Leaves holes in the frame to fill when it comes off.
Rekey or replace the existing lock HUD’s 2016 preservation cost schedule for FHA-insured homes allows up to $10 per keyhole to rekey and $60 to replace a front-door lockset New keys on the same kind of hardware Changes who has a key, not the strike plate or the screws holding it to the frame
Hasp and padlock The same HUD schedule allows $40 to install a padlock and hasp A visible lock, keyed from outside Held to the door and frame by screws through the hasp. Does not replace the deadbolt.
Rented steel door guard One national vendor’s rates for government buyers: $33.35 per door per month, plus $20.97 to install and $15.72 to remove A steel panel over the whole opening, glass included A monthly charge for as long as the property is empty. The vendor installs and removes it.
Plywood board-up Contractor labor and materials Covers the whole opening Shows from the street that the house is empty. Check local rules before boarding.

Rates change and private buyers may pay more or less than these schedules. Check current prices before you decide.

Owned, not rented

For landlords and rehabbers who have a property empty every few months, a lock they own can go on the next door as soon as that property is empty. There is no monthly charge and no waiting for a vendor to come back and take it down.

Vacancy and your insurance

Standard property policies cut back coverage once a building has been vacant for more than 60 days in a row:

  • On the standard HO-3 homeowners form, vandalism and glass breakage coverage ends.
  • On the standard ISO commercial property form, theft, attempted theft, vandalism, glass breakage and water damage are no longer covered, and other losses are paid 15% less. Under that form, a building under construction or renovation is not treated as vacant.
  • Rentals are often insured on other forms, so check yours.

A stronger lock does not restore coverage that a policy drops for vacancy. Read the vacancy clause in your own policy, and ask your insurance agent about a vacant-property policy if the building will sit empty for long.

Security works in layers

Even a strong door lock leaves windows, door glass and other doors to protect. Pair it with:

  • locked windows and secured basement and garage doors
  • outdoor lighting on a timer or motion sensor
  • regular visits, so mail, flyers and overgrown grass don’t pile up
  • monitoring, if the property will be empty a long time

The InvinciBolt Lock is for vacant buildings only. Read Safe Use and Property Access before you install it. Protect Your Vacant Property explains how the lock works and who uses it.

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