With the year drawing to a close, the busy season is in full swing for many organizations including retailers, travel agencies and schools. Additionally listed among this group are property management companies who often have the added seasonal duties of home/rental management for “snowbirds.” Tasks range from prevention services such as checking the vacant home for unwanted pests to arranging cleaning/repair services for winter residences.
To complete these assignments and provide peace of mind to the owner, property management companies rely on human resources as well as technology solutions such as automated key control systems that store and track keys. With a key control system, the homeowner’s key is secured to a locking device and held in the tamper-proof system cabinet, which can be located in the building, at the guard house or in the management company’s local office.
Access to the key cabinet is restricted to pre-authorized personnel and the time, date and identity of the individual accessing the cabinet are all logged. When the individual requesting the key to enter the home to do repair work, for example, has been pre-approved by the home owner, and the management company notified, the management company releases the key and logs the contact information for the individual and expected time/date of key return into the system.
This automatic tracking helps ensure accountability as well as the ability to generate customizable reports that can include information on historical key use, user activity and more. Reports can be automatically sent to property management or notification of key access can be automatically texted or sent by email to the owner or the management company. If the key is not returned as scheduled, an email alarm is sent to management so they can follow up with the individual. The system also allows for both the homeowner and the management office to be advised of the situation.
Trusting the care of your keys to a management company while you’re away is a definite convenience, but their use of a key control system adds confidence and trust.
