A video intercom system is a relatively new form of intercom system that incorporates a camera into its design. When a visitor to the property seeks entrance, the intercom will broadcast video and audio footage to a resident in the building. Residents will be able to physically verify the identity of the person asking for entrance before unlocking the door or gate. Video intercoms in apartment buildings provide tenants the ability to see who is at the door and let them in using either the doorbell or their smartphones.
Before deciding on a video intercom system for an apartment, here are 5 questions you should ask.
1. Do you prefer a one-way or two-way video?
In one type of video intercom, the renter can see a visitor but the visitor cannot see them. Some even allow the renter and guest to view each other on the screen at the same time through two-way video calling. For two-way video communication, the tenant will need access to a secondary device, such as a device installed in the rental unit or the tenant’s smartphone.
2. Would you like to set up in-unit hardware?
An intercom system consists of two parts: an exterior base station for visitors and an inside set of substations for occupants. Thanks to technological progress, most people always have a suitable replacement for the unit’s hardware on hand: their smartphone.
By allowing renters to use their smartphones as intercoms, smart video intercom systems minimize the need for hardware in each apartment. To provide a more streamlined and comfortable experience for renters, the building is equipped with smartphone-based door access and management systems rather than individual unit-based systems.
There are two advantages to using a video intercom system that is based on a smartphone:
Savings: Installing hardware and running wiring in each renter’s apartment unit is unnecessary with a smartphone-based apartment entry system. Due to the high price of buying and installing the required wiring and hardware, a smart video intercom is preferable for most houses.
Convenience: a smartphone-based video intercom allows tenants to let visitors, delivery carriers, and service providers in from anywhere, even inside their unit, at the gym, or while walking the dog. And because residents can just use their phones to unlock the door, they never again have to worry about remembering to bring keys or fobs with them.
3. What is the number of tenants?
Evaluate the daily needs of the people who will be using the video intercom. Not all video intercom systems can accommodate an unlimited number of apartments, and others have restrictions on how many people can live in a single unit.
For this reason, you need to ensure that the system you choose is both dependable and capable of handling the volume of traffic on your premises. No tenant wants to risk being shut out because the building’s entry system was overloaded.
4. Would you prefer remote system management?
The majority of older building entrance systems necessitate physical presence to perform routine maintenance such as directory updates or permissions management. Such a setup is not only wasteful of employees’ time but also expensive and space-consuming due to the necessity of using physical servers.
A smartphone-based video intercom with cloud-based software allows you to manage and restrict access to the system from anywhere.
5. Is allowing remote property access a top priority?
It is possible to unlock a door or gate remotely with some video intercoms, giving renters and employees more flexibility when they are not on the premises. Think about whether or not this is a necessary component of your structure.
Don’t forget the many upsides to remote access. A large number of package delivery and guests requiring temporary access occur at even the smallest HOAs. Your video intercom system allows workers and residents to grant access from afar thanks to its convenient remote access features. This has the added benefit of safeguarding your packages from being stolen and allowing you to identify anyone who enters your home.
