Are there companies that provide both intercom systems and access control for apartment buildings?
Yes. Many buildings end up with an intercom from one supplier and fobs from another. That works until something breaks and each company points at the other. A single installer can combine intercom entry with fob access and cameras on one system.
For property managers, landlords and condo boards, that means one contact for service, one plan for the entrance and one place to manage who gets in.
It also helps when you plan upgrades. The intercom, the door hardware and the fob readers are chosen together, so each part fits the entrance and works with the others. When a resident reports a problem, one technician can check the whole door instead of just one piece of it.
How apartment access control works in Windsor buildings
There are two parts to a modern entry system. The intercom handles visitors. A visitor calls a suite, the resident sees or talks to them, and releases the door. The access control side handles people who live or work in the building. Residents, cleaners and contractors use a fob, card, keypad code or phone to open the doors they are allowed to use.
Because both parts share one system, entries are logged and can be recorded on cameras. You can set schedules, give each person access to only the doors they need and cancel a lost fob from your desk. With modern systems, the property manager updates the resident directory online, so no technician visit is needed when people move in or out.
Intercom options for the front entrance
- Audio intercom with door release. The classic buzzer panel. A visitor calls a suite and the resident presses a button to unlock the door.
- Video entry. Residents see the visitor before letting them in.
- Smartphone entry. Calls go to residents’ phones, so there is no wiring to each suite and no in-suite handsets to repair.
- Touchscreen directories, QR code and facial recognition entry. Suited to newer or higher-end buildings.
Any of these can be paired with access control systems using fobs, cards, keypads or mobile credentials.
Managing residents, cleaners and contractors
Most of the value of a combined system shows up after install day. It changes how you handle people coming and going:
- New residents. Issue a fob and add the suite to the directory, without cutting new keys.
- Move-outs and lost fobs. Cancel the fob from your desk. There is no need to re-key the building.
- Cleaners and contractors. Give access only to the doors they need, and only at the times they work.
- Problems at the door. Check the log of every entry, and match it to camera footage when you need to.
- Several properties. Manage every location from one system, from a browser or app.
For a busy property manager, that means fewer trips to the building and fewer calls about keys.
Choosing the right setup for your building
Small buildings with existing suite wiring often keep audio or video stations and add fobs for residents. Older buildings where suite wiring has failed are usually better off moving to smartphone entry, because no new wiring has to be run to each unit. Larger complexes often combine a touchscreen directory, fob access and cameras.
The main costs are the number of doors, the type of lock hardware and the software. Door hardware is chosen to meet fire code for safe exit, and systems have battery backup for power cuts. We quote after a site survey, so you know the full picture before any work starts.
If you are weighing fobs against keys for staff areas or a small commercial building, our guide to a key fob system in Windsor covers when it makes sense to switch.
Installation and service in Windsor-Essex
Unique Communications is a family-owned Windsor company, in business since 1961. We install and service apartment intercom systems and access control for buildings across Windsor-Essex and the area to London, including LaSalle, Tecumseh, Amherstburg, Kingsville, Leamington, Chatham-Kent and London.
We work in occupied buildings and keep disruption to a minimum. We survey the building, check existing wiring and door hardware, and give you a written plan and quote. On install day we post notices for residents and work in stages, so the entrance is never left unsecured. We test every suite, and residents get a short how-to sheet. We also repair and maintain most existing intercom systems and offer service plans for property managers.
Common questions
Can residents open the front door from their phone?
Yes, with a smartphone-based system. Visitors call the resident’s phone and the resident presses a key to release the door.
Can an apartment intercom work with key fobs?
Yes. Intercom entry can be combined with fob access and cameras on one system, so entries are logged and recorded.
How do residents get added or removed?
With modern systems, the property manager updates the directory online. No technician visit is needed.
Managing a building and want the intercom, fobs and cameras looked after by one local team? We offer a free building assessment across Windsor-Essex and the area to London. We will look at the entrance, wiring and door hardware and give you options in writing. Call (519) 948-5595, our toll free number 1-800-265-9605, or request a free building assessment.
