Apartment building access control is all about balancing safety with convenience for your residents. In a world where we unlock phones with a glance and order dinner in seconds, people expect that navigating their apartment complex should be just as easy.
One way to meet these rising expectations is by upgrading how effortlessly people can move about the property. Today’s smart access control systems let residents use their phones as keys and give you a clearer view of access activity and resident traffic across the property. This guide explains the essentials of apartment building access control, common technologies, key use cases, and the benefits of integrated, managed systems.
Defining Apartment Building Access Control Today
Access control regulates who can enter specific areas and spaces of a property and when they can enter. In multifamily housing, this includes main entrances, unit doors, and shared spaces, such as gyms, rooftops, and areas like mailrooms or delivery zones.
Modern mobile access control helps you manage digital credentials (like mobile apps or keycards), verify identities, and keep a record of everyone who enters your apartment building. The goal is to make sure residents enjoy ease of movement across the various spaces in the apartment building while always feeling secure.
As a property manager, you know how important it is to offer residents both security and convenience. Mobile-first access enables your residents to use their smartphones as digital keys, cutting down on lost key issues and making entry effortless. Guest management tools give residents the ability to grant temporary access to visitors remotely, which means fewer interruptions for your staff and better control over who’s entering the building. When you integrate these systems with other property operations like rent payment and building service apps, you can create a seamless experience that today’s renters expect.
Most Common Types of Apartment Access Systems
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to access control for multifamily properties. What works in one building might not be suitable for another. Here are the most common options.
- Key fob and card-based access
- Mobile app and Bluetooth credentials
- PIN code and keypad entry systems
- Biometric and facial recognition options
Let’s look at each of them more closely.
Key Fob and Card-Based Access
Key fobs and cards are widely used in apartment access control. The cards use RFID or NFC technology to allow quick, contactless entry. They are easy to manage and reliable, but they could present security risks if lost or stolen. Replacing them also comes with costs and potential delays, which could inconvenience residents.
Mobile App, NFC and Bluetooth Credentials
Mobile access control is becoming popular in multifamily buildings. Residents use smartphones as credentials, unlocking doors using Bluetooth or NFC technology by simply holding their phone near a reader. They can also unlock their doors or grant their visitors access via the app from anywhere. This method removes the cost of replacing physical keys or cards. It’s also more secure because these types of access credentials are more strongly encrypted than cards or key fobs, and users are far less likely to lose their smartphone than a key fob.
PIN Code and Keypad Entry Systems
Keypad-based and PIN code apartment building access control systems are usually inexpensive and easy to install. However, unauthorized people can easily guess or steal active PIN credentials. Also, since a code or password can be shared with anyone, it will be difficult to tie access events to specific user identities with accuracy for any forensic purposes.
Biometric and Facial Recognition Options
Biometric access systems use fingerprint scanners, facial recognition, or retina scans to verify identity. These systems offer a high level of security and eliminate the need for keys or codes. However, because of their high cost and privacy considerations, they’re more common in luxury or high-tech apartments.
Intercom Systems with Video Verification
Video intercoms let residents see and speak to visitors before granting access. Many modern systems integrate with mobile devices, so residents can answer entry access requests from anywhere. These are especially useful at main entry points and for deliveries or guest access.
Key Access Points in Apartment Buildings
Apartment building access control systems help property managers control access and manage security not just at the main entrance but across multiple critical areas in apartment buildings.
Main Entrances and Lobbies
The main entrance is the primary access point and your first line of defense against unauthorized entry. Access control here typically involves using key fobs, mobile credentials, or intercom systems to verify residents and approved visitors before granting entry.
Access control panels process credentials and access authority in real time and only grant authorized users access. This setup helps prevent unauthorized access and allows you to monitor entry access logs and respond swiftly to security events.
Amenity Spaces and Community Areas
Shared spaces like gyms, lounges, and rooftops are a big part of what makes your building appealing to renters. But they could be hard to manage as you need to keep them exclusive to residents, available only to authorized users, and safe.
Access control systems can help you manage how tenants use these areas to maintain exclusivity and safety. Residents can pre-book their use of these areas at their convenience. Then, the access control readers installed at these entrances ensure that only authorized residents or guests can enter at specific times.
Mailrooms, Package Lockers, and Delivery Rooms
Access control systems help manage access to mailrooms, package lockers, and delivery rooms in apartment buildings by allowing only authorized people, such as residents, couriers, and staff, to enter these secure areas. Residents can issue couriers temporary one-time access and get a notification when their package arrives.
These systems also keep a record of who enters and when, which will improve security and accountability. It’s common to integrate access control with video surveillance to provide stronger security. Surveillance security cameras record all activities in these places, helping deter theft, verify deliveries, and provide evidence if any issues arise.
Unit-Level Smart Locks
As much as 67% of renters want keyless smart locks, according to a report by the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC).
Unit-level smart locks give residents the modern convenience they expect. Accessing their units becomes a smooth keyless experience that requires just a tap on their phones, a keycard, or PIN. Tenants can control their locks with their smartphones, making it easy to let in guests or service providers even when they’re away.
Benefits for Property Managers and Operators
Managing access digitally cuts down on the daily stress of manual methods. You spend less time tracking keys and more time focusing on serving your residents.
- Centralized Control: A cloud-based access control solution allows you to manage all access permissions from a single platform. And you can do it from anywhere. It could be issuing credentials to a new resident, revoking access after a move-out, or temporarily unlocking doors for a contractor.
- Easier Credential Management: Using traditional keys for building security brings a fair share of issues, like lost keys, people making unauthorized copies, or costly rekeying. By installing mobile access control, you can issue or update credentials instantly and tailor access permissions to specific doors, users, and schedules.
- Remote Lock/Unlock Features: Managers or staff can unlock doors through the platform without being on-site, improving responsiveness and minimizing downtime.
- Improved Efficiency with Vendors and Contractors: Think about how efficient your operations can be if service providers don’t need physical keys or manual check-ins? An access control system for apartment buildings lets you provide identity-unique, time-based, and area-specific digital access. So, authorized vendors only enter the areas they need and only when they are allowed. This way, you’ll protect sensitive spaces and keep a digital record of who accessed what and when.
The Value of an Integrated Access Control Solution
Securing your multifamily apartment goes beyond access control. Connecting access control with other building systems like video surveillance, visitor management, and property management platforms gives you an efficient integrated security system.
By Integrating access control and video surveillance systems security teams can synchronize the access data and video footage to “video verify” all access events that occur over time — if a security incident occurs, you have both an identity data point to match to a visual video image for all points in time. You can trace and verify who was at a location and when. This is invaluable information in forensic investigations.
You can also combine access control with visitor management for a smoother visitor access process. You can grant temporary access and verify visitors’ identity without compromising your building security.
Further, synchronizing access control with property management software can streamline and automate tasks like overseeing residents moving in or out without chasing down credentials or worrying about former residents being able to gain access to the property. The system grants and revokes access permissions to new and previous tenants automatically.
A fully managed, cloud-based security solution like Kastle makes managing and securing multifamily buildings easier. A common issue property managers face is dealing with multiple security vendors (e.g., different access control, video intercom, and video surveillance providers for the same location) and trying to get these disparate security systems to work together. It may be manageable when you’re overseeing just one building or office, but when you’re managing multiple locations, the challenge becomes glaring.
However, when you work with a managed security provider, your disparate building systems can work more effectively together like a team. You have one responsible party unifying the operation of all the systems — integrating, installing, monitoring, and maintaining them consistently. So, you gain more time to focus on providing a pleasant resident experience to your tenants instead of managing ongoing troubleshooting.
Choosing the Right System for Your Building
The right access control system depends on a variety of factors, including your building’s layout, resident needs, and plans. Start by evaluating:
- Building Size and Layout: A simple gate and door solution may work for garden-style apartments, while mid-rises and luxury towers often require more advanced systems with multiple access points.
- Resident Demographics: Tech-savvy residents may expect mobile access and biometrics. Older residents may prefer simpler credentials, such as keycards, fobs, or PIN-based entry.
- Technology Expectations: Discover what residents expect. For example, are they comfortable with mobile credentials?
- Budget and Scalability: A smaller building might prioritize affordability, while a luxury apartment may require a premium system that integrates seamlessly with other smart building features.
- Integration Needs: Consider whether you need the system to synchronize with other platforms, like HVAC, lighting, or property management software.
Every apartment has unique needs. That’s why you should choose a flexible, future-ready access control system. You need to plan not just for today’s operations, but for what’s ahead.
Kastle can work with you to implement the right system for your business throughout the process from design and integration to monitoring and maintenance. Kastle’s integrated, cloud-based access control solution for multifamily properties helps property managers simplify operations, improve security, and deliver a smooth, convenient experience that keeps residents satisfied and loyal.
