I have a few sneaky tiptoeing but loveable miscreants as part of my family and I would like to keep them out of my office. I'm sure some of you can relate.

My problem is that most of the locks I'm finding are big, heavy, super-secure deadbolts. I don't care about the actual security, I just want a simple interior lock that I can open with a pin/NFC/fingerprint and also log entry and exits in HA. Does anyone know of a lock that's more "lightweight" than the common options. After all, if they make it into my office there will be evidence all over in the form of fingerprints on the window of my PC case! :-D. I just need a mild deterrent.

The wife already nixed a motion sensor turning all the lights red and triggering horror movie sounds.

Sliding old school deadbolt at the top

I like your first idea better. Why does your wife hate fun?

Probably the simplest solution if the assumption holds that the ones trying to be kept out are too short to reach. Although don't make the wife mad or you could get locked in from the outside...

Alternatively, assuming the door is only prepped with a door handle currently and you don't want to drill more holes into the door, just Google a cheap push button style lock that fits the existing hole. Looks like there's plenty of low security options around $20.

Any smart lock should work on an interior door, you may have to drill a deadbolt but its the simplest solution. Switchbot and U-tec both make smart locks with fingerprints and excellent Home Assistant integration. Ubiquiti also sells magnetic latches you could install for access control if you're in their ecosystem.

If you can give up on Home Assistant integration/smart features, however, there are oodles of push-button and even fingerprint door (without other connectivity features) knobs out there. Most of them are terrible quality and not secure but that doesn't really matter to you and they are cheap.

That only works if you want to lock it from one side.

Are these miscreants two-legged or four-legged?

To be real...kind of all of them. All the "smart" locks you see for sale are WILDLY insecure at the consumer level.

You are correct that almost all of them focus on the deadbolt, but look at something like this. I kind of hate this company, but they make components as well as entire lock systems.

I have no idea if they work with HA or not, just giving you a jumping off point to familiarize yourself with the options and terminology to have a deeper search.

Presumably when they left their office.

2 legged, exceedingly inquisitive, a bit obsessive, and a little over 5' tall (1.5m).

The second part of your comment rings true for me. I guess I could just put a dumb lock on the door and use a simple motion sensor to let me know if someone is skulking around.

They make maglocks that you could put in the corner of the doorframe. Then wire it to an esp32. Esphome to connect it and home assistant to control.

I use one for a liquor cupboard that auto locks if my wife and I both leave the house. (well our phones anyway)

You are allowed to have one on both sides of the door you know

I've used this handle before that sounds like it would suit your needs. Of course it also requires Zigbee or Z-wave connected to your HA setup if you want to log locking/unlocking in HA.

Lol, me too. She's jumpy. She'd wander in there forgetting about it and end up scared shitless when my ceiling fan starts whispering in Parseltongue.

If you don't need a good lock, any smart lock will do. Just watch the videos by the Lockpicking Lawyer on YT. Those "smart" locks are rather horrible. For most, you don't even need lock picks.

At 1.5m they usually should be able to follow basic commands. Have you tried repeating at a higher volume setting?

Tbh, all locks are horrible in the hands of an experienced picker...

I suppose, but that's not a fun or particularly attractive solution imho.

Neither is a single sliding deadbolt on one side

Yes, but opening a lock by just hitting it with a hammer or holding a magnet to it is a new kind of low.

The LPL has shown often enough that his skills are not needed in all cases.

Yeah, I have the same on my office door.

Well, yes, I would agree.

Why not just use a door sensor to tell when it's opened?

honestly?

Just put a small locking mechanism on the door high up. Or just put a normal lock on it, put a nail in the wall up high where they don't reach it and hang the key on that nail.

Smartlock seems kind of overkill for this.

And for the inexperienced picker, a window is much easier to defeat than a lock.