Electronic Key Control: What Property Owners Should Look For

To maintain a competitive edge and keep your occupancy rates up, it's important to provide a positive resident experience. A significant part of creating a place residents want to call home is instilling a sense of safety and security by controlling who has access to residents' apartments. An electronic key control system is an important part of a comprehensive security strategy. To get the most value from your investment, here are a few things to look for:

Automatic Audit Trail

In addition to protecting keys and assets by physically securing keys, electronic key control systems help keep employees accountable and reduce your property's liability risks by creating a verifiable audit trail of key activity. 

To maintain the integrity of system records, it’s important to make sure your key control system collects key control data automatically instead of manually. Automatic key control systems capture transaction information as soon as a key is removed, but others require users to manually record transaction details or perform a specific action such as scanning a key tag.

System Networking

If you need to centralize key management practices among multiple properties, one of the first things you should look for in a key control system is a solution that allows you to network multiple systems. By doing so, you can set up consolidated reports, alerts, and more to track activity across multiple properties.

Support and Installation Options

Make sure you know what support options are available to you beginning with installation. Some key control providers offer complete on-site installation, while others only offer installation in major metro areas or require self-installation.

To make sure your keys are continuously protected after the system is installed, make sure you have support resources at your disposal to keep the system up and running properly. Find out the answers to the following questions:

1. Does the provider require a maintenance agreement? 
2. How much is it? 
3. What does it cover? 
4. Does the vendor provide support directly or outsource to a third party? 
5. What are the support hours?

Knowing up front what type of support you'll receive will help you avoid unpleasant surprises down the road.

Electronic key control is a must-have for your property, but evaluate your options carefully. It's vital to select a system that meets your needs, and it’s equally important to make sure you’re working with a technology partner that can help you get the most out of your investment.