Electronic locks are becoming more and more popular. Convenience certainly plays a big role, as they can be remotely managed and opened with smart devices. Yet they also offer greater peace of mind for residents who can remotely check the status of their locks.
Electronic locks are becoming more and more popular. Convenience certainly plays a big role, as they can be remotely managed and opened with smart devices. Yet they also offer greater peace of mind for residents who can remotely check the status of their locks.
That’s the argument raised by
Allegion, which recently did a survey in conjunction with Wakefield Research on people’s access control habits. The survey was conducted shortly before the summer vacation when a lot of people leave homes and take trips.
According to the survey, 75 percent of Americans have felt uncertain about whether they locked their doors when they have left home. Specifically, 83 percent of millennials and 81 percent of parents have experienced this.
The numbers also show that more than two in five Americans have personally experienced or know someone who has experienced a home break-in while away. Moreover, the study finds 56 percent of Americans have lost or misplaced the key to their home. Millennials and parents are more likely to do this, as 69 percent of millennials and 66 percent of parents have misplaced or lost the key to their home.
According to Allegion, this is where electronic locks set themselves apart from traditional mechanical locks, which can be compromised more easily. “Using an electronic lock, such as Schlage Sense, allows residents in single-family homes to check the status of their door – and lock or unlock it – via an application on their smart device, which can help residents feel safer and more at ease,” said Ann Matheis, Marketing Director at Allegion. “With this in mind, smart locks can increase the security of a residence, as access can be granted or revoked to a property almost instantaneously. Should a resident lose their key fob, property managers can easily disable that credential and issue a new one. That way, even if the fob ends up in the wrong hands, the property manager and resident will feel safe knowing that the credential is disabled. Electronic access control systems also offer audit trails, so that residents and property managers know who accesses a property and when.”
Also, another advantage of electronic locks is they can be opened with the user’s smart device, which is unlikely to be lost or misplaced. “Our society is quickly integrating mobile technology into most aspects of their lives. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 77 percent of Americans own a smartphone and that increases to 92 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds,” Matheis said. “Given how reliant we are on mobile, the likelihood of forgetting a device decreases, and if it is forgotten it is more likely that they will discover it faster than if it was a traditional key. Likewise, if smart credentials are lost, access can be revoked quickly and a new credential can be issued, which decreases concerns of unauthorized access or use.”
Due to the various benefits of electronic locks, Matheis said installing electronic locks can help property managers differentiate their offerings from those of competitors. “As an example, residents, when searching for apartments are looking for buildings to have smart locks as an amenity, and leading property managers are installing more, especially in competitive rental markets,” she said. “A recent
survey conducted by Allegion found that more than 61 percent of millennials are likely to rent an apartment due to its electronic access control features, and 51 percent are likely to pay more for an apartment with ‘high-tech’ door locks when compared to those without.”