Long days and warm, starry nights. Picnics, barbecues, spontaneous beach trips, and lively pool parties. Summer is a time to relax, have fun, and reconnect with family and friends — unless you are a multifamily property operator.
When kids are out of school, a flood of visitors come into buildings, and groups gather in common areas in greater numbers and more often, which makes safety monitoring and access control quite challenging. Summer weather keeps people outside longer, increasing after-hours trespassing and loitering violations. As the use of pools, rooftop lounges, and game rooms increases, keeping them clean and well-maintained takes more time and effort.
It doesn’t have to be this way; with the help of smart access and visitor management solutions, multifamily property owners and operators can enjoy the summer. The right smart access solution will provide the convenience, value, and robust security that property managers need while ensuring that residents can enjoy easy access to the property, shared spaces, and their apartments safely, day and night. Choosing a security-as-a-service solution that’s professionally managed as a service, means that top-notch customer support will always be available (so you can rest easy).
Easy-to-use smart access in the summertime
State-of-the-art smart access solutions offer keyless apartment and building access through mobile credentials. These systems are easy to operate, and residents will never have to fumble for keys again. A single credential will work anywhere on the property, making it smooth and effortless for residents to navigate between the building lobby, the laundry room, and their apartments.
Because there’s no need to re-key door locks when residents move or keys are lost, keyless solutions save time and money for property owners — and they’re also simpler for residents. After all, people in the U.S. get locked out of their homes and cars more than 16,000 times each day. The use of keyless entry systems significantly reduces lockout rates. Residents can relax and focus on enjoying the summer rather than worrying about where their keys are.
Keyless access solutions also provide security superior to yesterday’s lock and key-based systems. Mobile credentials are much less likely to be stolen or duplicated than physical keys. And while traditional locks will always be vulnerable to forcing and picking, smart access systems include an extra layer of monitoring for enhanced security. Plus, integrating smart access systems with property management software synchronizes with resident directories. As soon as a resident moves out, the lease’s ending will immediately trigger the termination of their access to the building. This automation can save property managers countless hours, especially during the beginning and end of the school year, when students move in and out.
Smart access solutions also record who’s using common spaces and amenities and when they’re doing so. This knowledge of traffic and usage patterns makes managing maintenance schedules and anticipating seasonal shifts in residents’ needs easier.
Benefits of video surveillance
Modern remote video guarding solutions are both convenient and secure. Artificial intelligence (AI) cameras detect suspicious or unusual activity to ensure prompt response to incidents. They stream the video to a 24/7 US-based video security operations center, where experts review it and immediately respond via an on-site loudspeaker. By providing consistent coverage across a much larger area than a single security guard could monitor, remote video guarding eliminates additional labor costs.
Of course, on-site security guards are highly effective as a deterrent, but their use is also cost-prohibitive, especially for small-scale real estate businesses. By leveraging the power of AI, it’s possible to achieve nearly the same level of security at a tiny fraction of the cost. In today’s amenity-rich residential facilities, remote video guarding is also valuable because it makes it easier to cover multiple spaces, even if they’re far apart.
Even on the laziest summer nights, AI-driven cameras do not sleep. They capture late-night pool parties, non-resident loiterers, suspicious activity, and inappropriate behavior, which triggers alerts that are acted on in real-time, alleviating liability concerns and risks to the property.
Advanced visitor management solutions make it easy to manage more visitors and guests
One of the best things about warm weather is enjoying spontaneous visits from friends. A smart, video-enabled visitor access management solution makes it easier for people to stop by. Residents will appreciate the convenience of being able to send a building access code straight to their guests’ phones while they’re on the way over.
Property owners and managers will appreciate the additional security that such solutions provide. It’s effortless for residents to visually verify the identity of their visitors, keeping unwanted guests — or would-be intruders — out of the building. Plus, an integrated visitor management solution that gives property managers enhanced visibility and control with a single-credential, single-application solution is easy to use. This automation saves the front desk staff time and effort during increased traffic.
Advanced video intercoms provide a highly useful, secure and efficient way to implement a visitor management system that has a physical and digital presence that can monitor the entry traffic of invited and drop by guests in a single solution. When it is integrated with the resident access system, it makes for a seamless experience that is greatly convenient to residents.
Modern residents have high standards regarding the amenities they’d like to see in multifamily properties. Turning to advanced technologies to make access easier and buildings more secure will improve resident experiences all year long. Spending fewer hours monitoring the property, directing visitors and vendors, and investigating reports of suspicious or inappropriate behavior means property staff can focus on keeping occupancy rates up, and property owners can maximize the value of their investment.
To learn more about Kastle Security’s industry-leading solutions and expertise, check out our event-based video surveillance and live remote video patrol solutions.