A Smarter Approach to Privacy: Tapkey’s Unit Feature for Multi-Tenant Properties

Let’s be real: managing a multi-tenant building, where multiple households or businesses share the same infrastructure, can sometimes feel like trying to balance spinning plates. In these setups, privacy becomes a critical concern for both tenants and landlords. Tenants expect that their individual access and personal space remain private, while landlords need control over shared areas without overstepping their boundaries. And nobody wants the awkward “Big Brother is watching” vibe.

But how can landlords and property managers manage a building efficiently without infringing on tenant privacy? The solution lies in smart access management systems like Tapkey’s Unit feature. Designed with privacy in mind, Units ensures a seamless, secure living experience for everyone involved. It’s a win-win.

The Privacy Problem in Multi-Tenant Buildings 

In traditional multi-tenant buildings, managing access can be a tricky issue. Landlords need to control and oversee shared spaces like hallways, laundry rooms, or parking areas. However, tenants expect their personal spaces—whether it’s an apartment or an office space—to remain completely private. They don’t want to worry about whether someone else has access to their home or workspace without their knowledge.

On top of that, managing keys can be a hassle: awkward handovers when someone moves in or out, lost keys that create security concerns, and the lingering question, “Does my landlord still have a spare key to my place?”

Sounds like a mess, right? Well, that’s where Tapkey comes in to tidy things up.

Units: A Privacy-Focused Solution

We say: privacy first! The Units feature in Tapkey’s system is designed to tackle the common challenges of access control in multi-tenant buildings by prioritising privacy and efficiency. It offers a smart, modern approach that benefits both landlords and tenants, eliminating traditional problems like lost keys or privacy concerns. Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

Exclusive and Shared Locks: The Units feature allows for two types of locks: exclusive locks, which are designated solely for tenant spaces (like apartments or offices), and shared locks for communal areas (such as the main entrance, laundry room, or garage). Exclusive locks ensure tenants have complete control over who enters their private space. For example, the lock on an apartment can only be managed by the tenant living there. This gives the tenant peace of mind, knowing their space is secure, and their privacy is fully protected.

Shared locks, on the other hand, give landlords control over common areas that need to be accessed by multiple people. Landlords can manage and monitor these spaces without interfering with tenants’ private areas. No overlap, no drama.

Access Logs That Respect Boundaries:  A key feature of the Units system is how it handles access logs, ensuring tenant privacy is never compromised. Landlords can only view access logs for shared, common areas—spaces they manage, like the lobby or bike storage. Tenant logs? Totally off-limits. Tenants, however, have full access to their own logs. They can see who has entered their apartment or office and manage permissions as they see fit. For example, if Stefan lives in a unit, he alone can see and manage access to his apartment. His landlord has no way of viewing this information, which creates a strong boundary of privacy and trust.

Tenant Power (Without the Power Struggles): One of the standout aspects of Tapkey’s Units feature is the level of control it hands over to tenants. This means tenants can share access to their spaces with whomever they like, such as family members or friends. But much more: Want to let your dog walker in? Done. Need to revoke access because, well, people change? Also done. This gives tenants complete autonomy without the need for landlord involvement. It simplifies the process and reduces unnecessary communication between tenants and landlords.

No More “I Lost My Key” Freakouts: Remember the old days when losing your key meant panic mode and major stress, leading to expensive lock replacements or security concerns? With Tapkey, those days are over. Lose your smartphone or NFC transponder? No problem. Just revoke access and issue a new digital key in minutes. Crisis averted. This not only saves time and effort, but also ensures that security is never compromised.

Ultimate Control for Landlords

While Tapkey’s Unit feature is designed to put privacy first, it doesn’t mean landlords lose control. Quite the opposite! With Tapkey, landlords can easily manage access to shared spaces and revoke access when necessary. This means that while tenants have full autonomy over their private spaces, landlords can still use common areas like entrances, laundry rooms, and garages either by managing permissions or monitoring the access of the permissions granted. They can control the number of smartphone user keys available for a unit,, and, if needed, change managers in specific units—all without compromising tenant privacy. At the end of the day, Tapkey makes it simple for landlords to keep their buildings secure while tenants enjoy the freedom and privacy they deserve. Here is the full video explaining what landlords can do.

Real Talk: Privacy in Action

Let’s break it down with a simple example. Meet Paul, a landlord who manages a building with several tenants. Paul uses the Tapkey Units feature to manage locks. One of Paul’s tenants, Stefan, has exclusive control over the lock to his apartment. This means Stefan is in charge of who can enter his home. He can invite friends over or let the cleaner in, all through the Tapkey app, without needing Paul’s involvement.

Paul, as the landlord, is responsible for shared areas like the front door to the building and the laundry room. He controls access to these spaces, making sure everyone can enter when needed. But here’s the great part: Paul can also give Stefan permission to manage who gets into the shared spaces, like the front door or laundry room. This means Stefan can share access to these areas with his friends or cleaner. However, Paul cannot see who Stefan has shared access with, or when they enter. Paul has no access to Stefan’s apartment logs or the details of who is coming and going. This way, Stefan’s privacy is completely protected, and Paul doesn’t have any unnecessary insight into his personal life. It’s all about respecting boundaries, with full privacy for the tenant.

Tapkey Units: The Privacy Hero We All Deserve

In a world where privacy is everything, Units are the ultimate answer to multi-tenant access management drama. Tenants get full control over their spaces, landlords keep things organised in shared areas, and no one has to deal with clunky, outdated key systems ever again. It’s smooth, it’s secure, and it’s privacy done right.

So if you’re a landlord or property manager who’s tired of the privacy vs. control headache, Tapkey Units is your go-to solution. You get the security and control you need, tenants get the privacy they deserve, and everyone’s happy.