With recent advancements in access control, both new developments and existing properties are turning to keyless entry systems like TrustHab to create better living experiences for residents and a more efficient environment for property management teams. Not only do smart access control systems significantly enhance the security of a community, they reduce the risks from theft or accidental misplacement of keys. Onsite teams being called after-hours to respond to resident lockouts is a common pain point reported by property managers – but the utilization of digital access codes mean that entry can easily be granted remotely by authorized personnel. No manual rekeying required. While residents can enjoy the convenience of locking or unlocking doors from an app on their smart phones, smart entry systems provide many benefits for onsite teams as well. Here are some of the main challenges that are eliminated when properties leverage smart keyless entry systems:

No more manually tracking key inventory

In addition to unit keys, property managers also need to account for keys that unlock doors to common areas and storage units. When a maintenance personnel or contractor needs access to a particular residence or area of the building, staff must manually check the keys out and make sure to document important information such as who has the key, unit number or area being unlocked, the time the key was assigned and most importantly, when exactly the key will be returned. With many physical keys being assigned to different personnel at once, it’s tedious for staff to then have to track and monitor the activity of multiple keys and ensure they have each been returned at the specified time. In the event that the key is either misplaced by someone or not returned at all, that opens up an entirely new problem – rekeying units.

Avoid rekeying units

As mentioned above, physical keys being lost or stolen are the main reason a unit or common area door would need to be rekeyed entirely. The main down side to this is the hassle, time, and cost that property teams (and sometimes residents) have to endure. Another potential cause of needing to rekey is due to weather conditions. Fluctuating temperatures can cause a lock to expand, and severely cold weather can cause a lock to freeze. Over time, dirt and grime can also build up inside the lock and can result in it getting stuck altogether. All of which are issues that can be eliminated with the installation of digital key pads.

A more efficient way to resolve resident lockouts

Many maintenance related issues occur outside of staff working hours, resulting in residents calling late at night to request assistance. Lockouts are one of the most commonly reported after-hours service calls that are received by staff. For properties that are not yet utilizing a smart access control system, one of the only remedies to provide a resident access to their unit after they’ve been locked out is to send maintenance personnel out to the property. Residents usually have to wait a while for someone to arrive, and management incurs the over-time rate charge in addition to potential lock repair or rekeying costs.

Misplaced or stolen keys can be a security risk

Physical keys that go missing and take a while to be discovered or reported could easily fall into the wrong hands, giving people unauthorized access to units or common areas (including gyms, game rooms, and communal pools). Most keys can be inexpensively copied off site, meaning that even if the original key is returned to management at a later date there is no guarantee that a duplicate isn’t in existence somewhere. The main way to ensure a misplaced key isn’t utilized by someone who doesn’t have the authority to do so is to rekey altogether, which is inconvenient and can also be costly.

Safety and convenience are often at the top of the priority list when people are searching for a new apartment community to live in – TrustHab’s Access Control System delivers an effective way for properties to enhance both of these factors. Request a tour of our platform to see how easy it is for onsite teams to remotely generate digital entry codes for residents and temporary guests, streamlining building access management and significantly improving the resident living experience.