Top Five Security Investments For Apartments And Multi-Family Housing That Attracts Tenants

36% of U.S. households rent housing or apartments. However, attracting tenants is not a simple or easy process, and property managers must ensure, amongst other things, that they provide security that attracts tenants. So, how do you create a future-proof security strategy to ensure the safety of your tenants? Keep reading to learn about the top five security investments for apartments and multi-family housing that attract tenants.

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5 Security Investments For Apartments And Multifamily Housing

Here are some of the top security technology investments that can help you optimize your security system, increasing the safety and convenience of residents.

Integrating Physical And Cyber Security

Since most modern security strategies and systems implement cloud-based and IoT (internet of things) technologies, it is becoming more challenging to distinguish between physical and cyber security. For instance, a cloud-based access control solution provides physical security functions but is also vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Therefore, to provide efficient physical security, property managers must be prepared to combine cyber and physical security to protect their cloud-based security technologies and provide a foolproof and air-tight security system for their apartment building. 

Consider merging your physical and cyber security teams to improve communication and provide a cohesive overarching security strategy. Housing both teams separately hinder a fast and effective response to security threats falling under both physical and digital realms, as it can be difficult to determine which team’s jurisdiction the event falls under.

By merging physical and digital security teams and using cybersecurity software to protect cloud-based physical security technologies in your building, you will be able to provide a security system designed to handle the challenges posed by the modern security sphere.

Adopting Touchless Hygiene-Based Technologies

By installing touchless access control readers for apartment and multi-family residential gate security, your tenants will be able to enter the building without making contact with common touchpoints like door handles. Since the pandemic, health and safety have become a significant security concern, and installing hygiene-based technologies demonstrates that you take accountability for your tenants’ health. 

You can integrate wellness verification software with your touchless access control system. Wellness verification software requires tenants and building visitors to fill in digital surveys that screen for coronavirus symptoms. This software can help you avoid contamination in your property and place tenant safety as a priority. 

Along with wellness verification software, you may also consider investing in temperature reading technologies that screen for high temperatures, indicating that a tenant or guest is symptomatic. If it is determined that they are symptomatic, then you can take steps to ensure they do not access communal areas within the building that could cause further spread of coronavirus in your building.

Providing health and safety measures as a landlord demonstrates the importance you place on the health and wellbeing of tenants, and you will be more likely to retain tenants.

Integrating Security Technologies

You can enhance security installations, and you can make the operation of your security system more user-friendly by integrating security technologies in your building. When your security installations are integrated on one platform, your security staff will be able to view all security data on one interface for faster and easier correlation of data. 

For instance, integrated access control and video camera systems allow access logs to be viewed in correlation with video camera feed. This can make it easier for your security staff to identify incidents involving misappropriated access devices. Since misappropriated access credentials are one of the largest concerns with an access control system, integrating video camera systems and access control can help prevent and identify this security concern.

Automating Building Management Triggers

By installing occupancy management software and integrating it with your access control system and internal door locks, you can set up building management triggers to help manage your building more effectively. 

Occupancy management allows you to view how many residents have accessed certain areas within the building and shows peak occupancy levels. This can help you spot issues with your building’s amenities more quickly, as your tenants will not occupy the facilities as frequently. 

Occupancy management also allows property managers and landlords to understand how frequently the amenities within the building are used. For instance, if a communal dining area within the building isn’t used frequently, occupancy management software will highlight this, allowing you to convert the facility into a more useful one like a gym or laundrette. This will help you increase the value of your properties and better meet your tenants’ needs.

Adopting IoT Technologies

IoT technologies can help create a more intelligent and more eco-friendly building management system. You can integrate IoT technologies with occupancy management software to ensure that lighting, heating, and devices are switched off when the room is unoccupied. 

IoT technologies can also benefit your tenants, allowing them to operate their heating and lighting for extra convenience remotely. IoT technology can be very appealing to tenants and will aid in attracting and retaining tenants in your apartment or multifamily housing properties.

Summary

When investing in multifamily real estate and apartments, it is in your best interest to ensure you offer convenient and adequate security. Your tenants need to feel protected in their own homes, and you must provide measures that protect the health and safety of your tenants. Implementing these technologies in your investment properties will ensure your building is more attractive to tenants. You will be more likely to retain tenants who feel their landlord or property manager has their best interests at heart.