Smart Apartments - Luxury vs. Necessity
When it comes to Smart Apartments, how do you draw the line between what is necessary and what is luxury? It is a fine line because it all seems pretty luxurious, but today we cover the basics of the Smart Apartment.
Necessity - Smart locks
Smart locks increase convenience and security for residents. They enable keyless entry to the apartment via touchpad and/or mobile app. They also allow entry into the exterior of the building. Residents can give remote access to guests if they desire, and the smart lock will log exactly when they enter and exit. Smart locks also allow for extras like ease of maintenance, cleaning and dog walking services.
Necessity - Smart thermostats
Smart thermostats are often considered luxury, but for a developer we would consider them necessity! These are a must for keeping cost low between residents and they are a low-maintenance/easy addition and much desired smart apartment amenities. They allow residents to control their climate remotely. Heating and cooling accounts for nearly half of a property’s energy costs. Smart thermostats make buildings more energy efficient by allowing property managers to remotely control the climate of empty units. When connected to a smart apartment platform, smart thermostats give managers building-wide information on the state of their HVAC system.
Necessity - WiFi
Have you ever stopped to wonder why WiFi doesn’t just “work” in apartments? Smart apartments provide tiered bandwidth subscription plans that the residents can purchase directly from the property owner instead of a carrier. This provides incremental revenue for the property manager and simple, reliable internet access for residents. WiFi can be turned on like a light switch. With everything in the apartment depending on a reliable network connection, making sure that this is in place just makes sense.
Necessity - Access Control/Smart Security Systems
Security is a big reason why renters are choosing smart apartments. Smart access control is a key piece of that. Smart Access increases security and convenience for residents and staff. It also tracks who is coming and going throughout the entire property. Smart security systems give residents mobile app controls and integrations with other devices like Amazon Alexa.
Luxury - Smart lighting
Smart lighting is the quintessential smart apartment amenity. It combines convenience, cost-savings, and the futuristic ‘cool factor’ that gives residents something to brag about but is not ultimately “necessary”. Smart lights can be controlled remotely or with pre-set custom automations. They can dim, change colors, and activate when someone walks into a room. Smart lights also save residents money by adjusting to sunlight and turning off when not needed. Property managers can also use smart lights to control costs in empty units and set the “mood” for apartment tours.
Necessity - Resident App
One of the favorite smart apartment amenities is the all-in-one mobile app for residents. This is where the residents can control everything about their apartment. The mobile app gives residents one place to manage their rent payments, utilities, WiFi, and communication with their property manager and roommates. Through smart apartment platform integrations, residents can even control their smart lock, thermostat, and lighting. The resident mobile app is like a remote control for your life. Everything you need can be accessed and managed right from your smartphone. There’s an app tor that!
Luxury - Voice Control
No device is more synonymous with “smart home technology” than the voice assistant. Hey Alexa , or Hey Google, Hey Siri…….. is changing the way people interact with their homes, and now renters can have the same experience. With voice control integrated with your smart apartment platform, residents can access information about their rent, utilities, and maintenance requests.
Luxury - Package management
While not the most exciting, package management is one of those added value amenities for residents, especially at certain times of the year. With Amazon shipping nearly 5 billion Prime packages last year, reliable package management is more important than ever. Smart apartments make it easy for property managers to receive and track packages. Residents automatically receive messages when their package has arrived. Taking package management to the next level, in-unit package drop-off might be the future of delivery. Thanks to smart locks and services like Amazon Key, residents could opt-in to have their packages dropped off inside their front door. This amenity helps eliminate package thefts. Services like Amazon Key can be quickly integrated into the smart home platform because the hardware and software foundations are already in place.
Be it luxury or necessity, we can help you get your amenities established at build, remodel, or an existing building to ensure that you are getting the most out of your apartment building. To learn more about these and any other Smart Apartment amenities, contact us anytime.
