Dearborn Home Security Checklist

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Exterior Door Checklist

• Every exterior door has its own deadbolt — not just the lock built into the doorknob or handle set, which is easy to force or bypass on its own.
• The door itself is solid (solid-core wood, fiberglass, or steel), since a strong deadbolt in a hollow or damaged door frame doesn’t add much real security.
• The door frame isn’t cracked, split, or soft near the strike plate — this is one of the most common weak points and is often invisible until someone checks for it.
• Sliding glass and patio doors have a secondary lock or bar in the track, not just the factory latch.

Deadbolt Checklist

• It’s a genuine deadbolt (the bolt extends at least an inch and doesn’t have a spring action), not a spring-latch lock marketed as a deadbolt.
• The bolt throws smoothly without needing to lift, slam, or force the door — a bolt that binds is often a sign the door has shifted and the lock isn’t seated correctly anymore.
• There’s no visible gap between the door and frame when the bolt is thrown that would let it be slipped or pried.

Strike Plate & Screw Checklist

This is one of the most overlooked upgrades in home security, and it’s inexpensive: the strike plate is the metal piece in the door frame that the deadbolt extends into, and it’s only as strong as the screws holding it.

• The strike plate is metal and reinforced, not just the short, thin plate that often ships standard with a doorknob set.
• The screws are at least 3 inches long and reach into the structural door frame stud, not just the doorjamb trim — short screws are a common reason doors can be kicked in even with a good deadbolt installed.
• All screws are snug with no stripped holes or visible movement in the plate.

Window Lock Checklist

• Every ground-floor window latches fully and isn’t painted shut in a partially-open position.
• Basement and lower-level windows have working latches, not just a stick or dowel — those help but aren’t a substitute for a functioning lock.
• Window air conditioner units are secured so the unit itself can’t simply be pushed in from outside.

Garage & Secondary Entry Considerations

• The door from the garage into the house is treated like an exterior door — same deadbolt standard as the front door, since it’s often the weakest link in an otherwise secure home.
• The garage’s own entry door (if separate from the vehicle door) is locked, not just the overhead door.
• Garage door opener remotes and keypad codes aren’t left in obvious spots, like a visible dashboard mount or a code that hasn’t been changed in years.

Spare Key Safety

Fake rocks, under-the-mat keys, and above-the-doorframe hiding spots are widely known and checked first by anyone testing a door. If you keep a spare key outside, a small combination lockbox mounted away from the door itself is a meaningfully better option than a hidden physical key.

Lost-Key Response

If a house key is lost, the right response depends on whether it can be tied back to your home:

• Lost without your address attached: replacing the lost key or re-keying is a reasonable, non-urgent step.
• Lost along with ID, mail, or anything tying it to your address: treat this like a lock compromise and rekey or replace the affected locks promptly rather than waiting.

Move-In Checklist

Moving into a new home is one of the most common reasons to rekey, and for good reason — you have no way of knowing how many key copies exist from previous owners, contractors, or tenants. A rekey keeps your existing hardware and changes the internal pins so old keys stop working; a full lock or deadbolt replacement makes more sense instead if the existing hardware is old, damaged, or you want to upgrade to a different lock type.

Rental Property Considerations

For landlords and property managers, a consistent rekey policy between tenants is one of the simplest, lowest-cost risk reductions available — and for buildings with multiple units, a properly designed master key system can make turnover and maintenance access far more manageable than tracking individual keys per door. Renters who want more assurance between move-in and a rekey being completed can ask their landlord directly whether one has been done since the previous tenant.

Smart Lock Considerations

Smart locks trade a physical key for a code, app, or fob, and can be a genuine upgrade for keyless convenience and knowing who came and went — but they’re not automatically more secure than a good mechanical deadbolt, and battery life, Wi-Fi dependence, and lock quality vary a lot between models. See our smart lock vs. traditional deadbolt guide for a fuller comparison before deciding.

What to Check After a Break-In

If a break-in or attempted break-in has already happened, priorities shift from prevention to immediate safety and documentation:

• Don’t clean up or repair anything until it’s been documented for police and insurance, if you’re filing a report or claim.
• Check every point of entry, not just the obvious one — a door that was forced can leave a frame that no longer closes securely even after the visible damage looks fixed.
• Replace or rekey locks on any door that was compromised, and consider whether other doors sharing a key with the compromised one should be addressed too.

Seasonal Michigan Considerations

• Cold snaps can cause exterior locks to stiffen or freeze — a lock that suddenly needs force to turn is worth having looked at before it fails completely on a sub-zero morning.
• Door frames shift slightly with temperature and humidity swings across a Michigan year, which is a common, non-alarming reason a deadbolt that worked fine in summer starts binding in winter.
• Salt and moisture from winter foot traffic can accelerate wear on exterior hardware faster than interior locks — an annual check before winter is a reasonable habit, not a necessity.

When Should You Call a Locksmith?

Most of this checklist is genuinely doable yourself with basic tools. It’s worth calling a licensed locksmith instead when a lock won’t turn or throw smoothly and forcing it risks breaking a key off inside; when you’ve just moved in and want a same-day rekey rather than researching hardware yourself; when a door frame is damaged and the strike plate needs to be reset into solid wood; or when you’re setting up a master key system for a rental property with more than a couple of units. For what “licensed” actually means and how to confirm it in Michigan, see our Michigan locksmith licensing guide.

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