Within a multi-family community, property managers are responsible for a range of duties, from staff management to financials. Overseeing these operations can be time intensive, and property managers are always looking for solutions that help increase efficiency and make the management process easier. With this in mind, key decision makers in multi-family communities may contemplate investing in an electronic access control system as a solution to support streamlining activities.

When beginning to consider making the switch to an electronic access control system, there are three considerations property managers should think about when researching systems:

• Is it an open architecture design?
• Will it increase key management efficiency?
• Will it offer convenience to both residents and staff members of the property?

As technology continues to evolve, it’s important to ensure that a building’s system can upgrade over time and won’t become outdated. In particular, door hardware with an open architecture design is compatible with various software providers and can easily be updated. 

Additionally, electronic access control systems help increase key management efficiency, which can be an expensive and time consuming process. A survey of multi-family and mixed-use property decision makers found that 56 percent of respondents rekey or replace keys one to five times per month, and 53 percent of respondents reported rekeying or replacing multiple keys the same day the need arises. According to Home Advisor, the average cost to hire a locksmith can be around $152 per visit, depending on the service. As residents move in and out of properties, it can be difficult and expensive to ensure that only those who are authorized have access to the building and individual units. An electronic access control system helps decrease key duplication and security concerns as property managers can quickly and easily grant or revoke the smart credential’s access as needed from virtually anywhere and can view a history of access, gather data on amenity usage and more.

Property managers aren’t the only ones who benefit – electronic access control is also more convenient for residents. Residents will appreciate the convenience of one, easy-to-use smart credential, which can be used to enter the building, an individual unit, and shared amenities like a fitness center or communal lounge.

The decision to update a building’s system or amenities can be a big one. Keeping these three considerations in mind when researching electronic access control systems, key decision makers will better understand the needs of their property, identify the solution that works best for them and make an informed decision about upgrading their building’s system.