How to Safely Share Door Lock Codes and Access Passwords

Moving day. Your real estate agent sends you a text: "Door code is 1234*." You glance at it, punch it in, and forget about it. But that code is still sitting in your iMessage or Messenger history — indefinitely. The number that opens your front door is now floating around in a chat thread.

A door code isn't just another password. If someone gets it, they can physically walk into your home. That makes how you share it far more important than most people realize.

When You Need to Share a Door Code

It happens more often than you'd think.

• Moving in: A real estate agent sends the code to a new tenant
• Airbnb or short-term rental: A host shares the check-in code with guests
• House or pet sitter: Someone needs access while you're traveling
• Cleaning service: A cleaner arrives while you're at work
• Package delivery: A courier needs to reach your doorstep inside a building
• Family or roommates: You changed the code and need to let everyone know

Why Texting a Door Code Is Especially Risky

When a regular password leaks, someone might access your account. When a door code leaks, someone can access your home.

• Messages persist forever: iMessage and Messenger threads keep your messages unless both parties manually delete them.
• Lost or stolen phones: If the other person loses their phone, your door code is exposed along with everything else.
• Screenshots and forwarding: Anyone in the conversation can screenshot the code or forward it to someone else.
• Group chats: A real estate agent juggling multiple tenants could accidentally share your code in the wrong thread.
• Physical threat: Unlike digital passwords, a leaked door code means someone can physically show up at your door.

4 Safe Ways to Share a Door Code

1. Use a Password-Protected Memo Link with Expiry

With LOCK.PUB, you can create a secret memo that's protected by a password and automatically expires after a set period. Match the expiry to your Airbnb checkout date, your cleaner's scheduled visit, or your move-in day — after that, the memo disappears and no one can access it.

Why it works:

• Content auto-deletes after expiry or after being read
• The link itself is password-protected for double security
• The actual door code never appears in your message history

2. Smart Lock Temporary Codes

If you have a smart lock (August, Yale, Schlage, etc.), most apps let you generate temporary access codes. These codes only work during a specific time window and deactivate automatically.

Why it works:

• Time-limited by design
• No need to share your master code
• Access logs show exactly who entered and when

3. Phone Call

Old-fashioned but effective. A quick phone call leaves no digital trail — no screenshots, no forwarding, no chat history to worry about.

4. Change the Code After Every Guest or Service Visit

The most foolproof method. Once the guest checks out or the cleaner finishes, change the code immediately. Even if the old code leaks later, it's useless.

Recommended Expiry Times

When using a LOCK.PUB secret memo link, set the expiry to match the situation.

Situation	Recommended Expiry
Airbnb guest	Check-in to check-out dates
Cleaning service	2-hour window
Real estate showing	24 hours
New tenant move-in	Share, then change the code
Pet or house sitter	Trip duration + 1 day
Package delivery	Same day

Access Revocation Checklist

Once someone no longer needs access to your home, run through this list.

• Change the door code to a new one
• Verify the LOCK.PUB memo link has expired
• Disable any temporary smart lock codes
• Check the smart lock access log for unexpected entries
• Delete any messages containing the code from your chat history

Your Door Code Deserves Better Than a Text Message

Your door code protects the physical space where you live and sleep. Treat it with at least as much care as you'd treat a banking password. Use expiring secret memo links, temporary smart lock codes, or just pick up the phone.

Create a secret memo with a built-in expiry on LOCK.PUB — it takes less than a minute.

Create a Secret Memo -->