Why Your Building Needs a Video Intercom System

Every residential building needs an intercom system, and here’s why. Intercoms are great for security because they allow tenants to speak to visitors before letting them into the building. What’s more, the right intercom systems can make tenants’ lives more convenient. This is because residents will be able to easily grant building access to visiting family members and friends via video call.
For an in-depth look into these, and other benefits of investing in a smart video intercom system for your residential building, keep reading.
1. Secure Property Access
A video intercom system allows tenants to open the building’s front door using their smartphones via a smartphone app. This rules out having to jangle a set of keys and annoying keyholes. What’s more, property managers can also give remote access to in-person service people such as maintenance crews.
Smart intercom systems are easy to use for people of all ages. Tenants only need to have an app, through which they can receive video calls, and conveniently grant their guests access to the building’s front door.
As a rental property owner, security should be a top priority for your residential building. Knowing this, having a video intercom system in a residential building also allows the property manager to create a digital log of everyone who accessed the building.
Correctional facilities also require intercom systems to ensure the safety of both the inmates, visitors, and corrections officers. Understanding that corrections officers can’t be at all places at once, federal prisons are required to have an intercom system in place. To understand what other security requirements state prisons must comply with, read up on some tips for suing a prison.
2. Simplified Package Management
The average American receives slightly over 21 packages a year. Knowing this, residential buildings that house multiple families oversee hundreds of package deliveries each year. What’s more, the COVID-19 outbreak has seen a surge in online shopping, with online food delivery becoming an essential part of safeguarding against the spread of the virus. With these figures in mind, how does your apartment building manage package delivery?
If your building doesn’t have a system in place to manage package intake and storage, your residents may be susceptible to package theft. It’s no wonder that nearly 40% of American renters report having a package stolen from them.
Smart video intercom systems such as those provided by ButterflyMX, allow you to provide remote property access to delivery personnel while also securing the building against package thieves. The ButterflyMX video intercom does this by allowing tenants to create unique PINs and virtual keys for each delivery service.
3. Property Task Management
Property managers tend to have an endless to-do list. From scheduling regular building maintenance and repairs to ensuring that all building facilities are in compliance with building codes and other policies, adding smart solutions like a video intercom can help to automate some of these processes.
For best results, opt for a video intercom system that easily integrates with whatever property management system you already have in place. Consequently, when a new tenant moves into the building, their information is automatically added to the intercom database.
Alternatively, when they move out, their information is automatically deleted. In this way, your property manager won’t have to make updates manually, consequently freeing up their time and allowing them to attend to other tasks.
Also, select a video intercom system that keeps a log of everyone who uses the intercom or comes through your building’s entryway.
4. Tenant Retention
For years, prospecting renters tended to look favorably on rental properties that had high-touch amenities such as a large closet, stable internet connection, and a state-of-the-art gym. These days, however, renters are keener on tech amenities. Modern renters — most of them millennials — are more concerned about tech products that offer both security and convenience.
After learning this, you can offer your existing and prospective tenants the convenience and security that a video intercom provides. Not only are intercom systems affordable to install, but they also are a great way to ensure you’re meeting a common need in a renter’s wishlist.