Guide, United States

Affordable home security for renters: sensors, locks and lights

How we wrote this: FTC guidance and the specifications printed on each product listing. General information, not legal advice. We make no claim that any product prevents a break-in. Last checked 1 November 2026.

Last reviewed: November 1, 2026

Affordable home security for a renter comes down to a few layers that do not need drilling or a contract: door and window alarms that sound when opened, a light that switches on with movement, a better lock if your landlord agrees, and a video doorbell if you want to see the door. You can start with the cheapest layer and add the next one later.

These are products we sell, and this guide covers some of them. We print no prices because they change, and we say what each product does, not what it prevents. Each product here is one layer of home security, described by what it does.

Start with the lease

Before you stick, screw or swap anything, read your lease and ask your landlord in writing. Leases and state rules differ. As one example, the California Attorney General lists windows and doors with working locks among a landlord's duties and says tenants should put repair requests in writing, so a lock that does not work is a repair request and not an upgrade. Our guide to home security for renters has a short request you can adapt, and a note on moving out.

Anything that goes on with double-sided tape, sits on a shelf, or plugs into an outlet is the easiest to ask about. A lock change needs permission first.

Layer 1: door and window alarms

Magnetic alarms have two parts. When the door or window opens, the parts separate and the alarm sounds.

The wireless sensor set listing says it has a built-in magnetic sensor and chirps rapidly at 90 dB when the two parts move apart. Each part has a strip of double sided tape, so it goes on in seconds with no tools and no wiring. The listing suggests an outside door, a window, or a medicine cabinet to know when children open it. It is sold as a set of sensors. The 2 pack is listed as a 90 dB magnetic door and window alarm; check the page for the battery and mounting details.

What they suit: a renter who wants to know when a door is opened and does not want to drill. What they do not do: the listings describe a sound and mention no phone alert, so they only help where someone can hear them.

Layer 2: motion lights

A motion light switches on when it senses movement, which is useful at a back door, a garage side or a path.

The 3 head solar light is listed with 188 LEDs across three heads that rotate 360 degrees, up to 1600 lumens over a 270 degree spread, and motion detection up to 33 ft away. A built-in 2200 mAh rechargeable battery stores the day's charge, and the supplier says 8 hours of full charge gives up to 180 activations. Three dials set the light level, sensitivity and on time. It mounts with no wiring. The other light is listed as a 100 LED solar motion light and gives no further figures, so read its page.

Solar lights need sun, so place them where they will get it, and ask your landlord before you mount anything outdoors.

Layer 3: a keypad deadbolt

A keypad deadbolt replaces the key with a code. We list two:

The listings are short: the black one is described as having auto lock and anti-peeking, and the silver one as a backlit keypad deadbolt. We cannot tell you how to install them or what doors they fit, so check the product page. For a renter, this is the layer that needs your landlord's written yes, because it changes the lock. Keep the old hardware to put back when you move out, which is our suggestion and not a legal rule.

Layer 4: a video doorbell

A video doorbell lets you see and talk to whoever is at the door from your phone.

The Wi-Fi doorbell listing says it streams live video, has two way audio, and adds night vision and motion detection. It needs a home Wi-Fi network and the companion phone app, and the listing photo shows a plug-in indoor chime. The Knock Knock listing describes video calls to your phone, automatic video capture that saves recordings for playback, two way talk, a choice of ringtones and a visual intercom, and says it needs a home Wi-Fi network and a smartphone. Check both pages for how each mounts, since that decides whether it works in a rental.

Cameras and doorbells that record sound raise privacy law questions, which vary by state. Our renters guide covers them. Point the camera at your own door and nothing else.

Secure the network too

A connected device is only as safe as the network. The FTC says to replace your router's default administrative username, password and network name with unique ones, and to set the router to WPA3 Personal or WPA2 Personal. It says to keep each device and its app updated, and to turn off features you do not use. Its device guidance says to change the factory-set username and password on each device. If your building supplies the wifi, the device passwords and updates are still yours.

A starter set

We sell these four items together as a pack.

Home security starterA keypad deadbolt, two 2 packs of door and window alarms, and two solar motion sensor lightsSee details and price

Per the listing, the pack holds two 2 packs of door and window alarms, a matte black keypad deadbolt and two solar motion sensor lights. That is four door or window alarms, one lock and two lights. The pack page shows its current price.

Which layer first

Your situation	Start with
Strict lease, no drilling	Door and window alarms, then a shelf or plug-in item
Dark entrance	A motion light, with permission to mount it
Package theft or unknown visitors	A video doorbell, if the mount works for your door
Landlord says yes to a lock	A keypad deadbolt
Want it all	The starter pack

Questions people ask

Will this stop a break-in? We do not claim that, and neither does any official source we read. Each item does the narrow thing in its listing. Our advice is to see them as layers that tell you what is happening at your door, and nothing more.

Can I take it with me? The tape-on sensors and shelf items can go with you. Photograph each spot before and after, as our renters guide suggests.

Do I need a subscription? None of the listings above mention one. The doorbells need Wi-Fi and a phone app, so check each page.

Sources and last checked

All pages opened on November 1, 2026.

FTC: Home Wi-Fi network guidance, December 2022.
FTC: Securing Your Internet-Connected Devices at Home, August 2022.
California Attorney General: Landlord-Tenant Issues.

Product specifications come from the product pages on this site. State examples are examples, not rules for your state. If you find an error, tell us through the contact page and we will check it against the source.