Security is a necessity in multifamily communities and apartment buildings. Access control and security systems not only keep residents safe - they are the gateway to the entire community. With advancing smart building technologies, what was once a simple means to an end has transformed into an opportunity to attract residents and improve their living experience. 

Apartment buildings are quickly hoping on the smart building trend, and that includes access control. Solutions like using your smartphone for building access, video intercom and mobile unlock, resident-generated guest codes and even face recognition access for residents are not only simplifying operations for property management teams. They also enhance the overall living experience and attract great residents turning building security into an amenity. 

Upgrading From the Traditional Key 

It’s inevitable - residents will lose their keys. And when they do, it’s inconvenient and stressful to figure out another way to get into the building. Offering a keyless alternative to residents is a modern amenity that a growing majority of renters are actively looking for when touring a new apartment. Keyless building entry using a smartphone or just your facial credentials is an attractive amenity by itself. But, it also significantly increases building security overall which adds to the attractiveness of a community. 

Manage Your Own Packages

Residents - and people in general - are ordering more packages than ever before. With that, guaranteed package security is increasingly becoming an expectation among residents that property management staff can’t always ensure due to the sheer volume of deliveries. Consequently, residents want more discretion over their packages and deliveries. More so than being intercepted by mailrooms and - for obvious reasons - preferred over being left outside the door to their apartment building, residents want the ability to manage their own packages. 

Communities with video intercom systems that allow recipients to visually verify who is at their door and let them in with their phone is a major benefit to residents. They don’t need to leave their apartment nor do they need to be home at all to ensure their deliveries make it into the building safely. Secure, 24/7 package management has become one of the most important amenity offerings in evaluating a new apartment, and multifamily communities are jumping on the opportunity to upgrade their access systems to include this feature. 

Guest Access Anytime, Anywhere

Similar to package deliveries, residents want discretion over their guests and visitors. Enabling security as an amenity not only means that residents can let in guests with the click of a button over a video intercom system. It also means that residents can create unique credentials for anyone they need to let into the building. This includes creating a unique guest code that grants access for a dog walker every day for a few hours or a house cleaner that only needs to get into the building on the first Monday of the month. Giving residents the flexibility to schedule access for their own guests eliminates the security risk that comes with shared PIN codes but still maintains the convenience of allowing their guests to get into the building. 

Access control in multifamily communities has come a long way since the key fob. New technology has modernized apartment building access and in doing so, increased resident security and modernized their entire living experience. For this reason, property managers are quickly upgrading building access to offer increased security, convenience and flexibility as an amenity.