34 | SEPTEMBER 2020
Products
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
Home-rental landlords
embrace contact-free
access to help the fight
against COVID-19
When it comes to the fight
against COVID-19, we’re all in
this together. To limit the spread
of the virus, we all need to do
what we can to minimise social
contact. For home-rental landlords
this means reducing physical
interaction with tenants – as
well as helping tenants reduce
interaction with tradespeople and
delivery drivers. For owners of
short-term holiday lets, the need
to reduce contact with guests is
even more urgent, as to stay open
they are required to conform
with the government’s new hospitality
guidelines.
Open for business
Providing contactless access is
an immediate concern for shortterm
property lets. Government
guidelines for holiday rentals
stipulate that owners must minimise
contact with guests – and
providing keyless access to properties
is a good place to start.
Mechanical or electronic keyless
locks would, of course, remove
the need to hand over keys, but
a smart access solution brings
further benefits, too.
When Lifestyle Serviced Apartments
(LSA), wanted to provide
remote access to its serviced
apartments in Southend-on-Sea,
it fitted Codelocks Smart Locks
on each of the apartment doors.
When a customer makes a booking,
they are remotely issued
a time sensitive code for the
relevant apartment. The code can
be set for any desired period of
time and is disposable, expiring
once the customer checks out of
the property. As well as removing
the need to physically meet
and greet guests, this technology
also reduces the time spent on
the check in procedure, allowing
staff to focus on other tasks – including
more regular cleaning.
Smart access for
home rentals
One highly effective way that
landlords can cut down on physically
interacting with tenants is
to provide contact-free access. By
installing digital locks, landlords
can avoid the exchange of keys.
Instead, they can simply share a
code by text or email. By going a
step further and installing smart
locks, socially conscious property
owners can empower tenants
to lessen their own contact with
others as well.
Combining smart technology
with traditional keypad and card
access, Codelocks Smart Locks
allow homeowners, tenants and
landlords to generate time-sensitive
and temporary codes that
expire after a set duration. These
codes can be sent by text or
email, remotely providing cleaners,
builders and delivery drivers
with temporary access to the
property. With complete control
and flexibility, homeowners, tenants,
estate agents and landlords
don’t need to worry about being
available and in the property in
order for cleaning, deliveries or
maintenance to take place – offering
complete convenience for
all parties.
A smart lock can also offer
comfort to older tenants by adding
an extra layer of reassurance.
In the event of an emergency,
it can provide the emergency
services with immediate access,
unlike the traditional lock and
key.
Ensuring safer
deliveries for all
As social distancing continues,
so does online shopping and
home deliveries. Fitting properties
with secure, outdoor storage
for packages is another effective
way of reducing physical contact
and making properties more
attractive to prospective customers.
CITIBIN originally designed
its PARCELBIN boxes to provide
safe places for couriers to leave
domestic deliveries and protect
homeowners from ‘porch pirates’.
Since lockdown, the PARCELBIN
has found a new use, enabling
couriers to leave deliveries
without needing to interact with
the recipient. For security, the
CITIBIN is fitted with a KL1200
KitLock by Codelocks – a digital
lock that is specially designed for
lockers and cabinets. The owner
simply programs a 4-digit code
into the lock and the PARCELBIN
will then remain locked until that
specific code is entered – either
by the user or by a delivery
person.
Out-smarting COVID-19
and delivering a better
service to tenants
If we’re going to succeed in the
fight against Coronavirus, we’ll all
need to play our part. For owners
of holiday rentals, providing contactless
access can help to meet
government guidelines – but for
all landlords, providing keyless
access to rental properties is a
smart move. As well as helping
to minimise unnecessary physical
contact between all parties, contactless
access solutions reduce
time spent on meeting and greeting
guests and make properties
more attractive to prospective
tenants.
www.codelocks.co.uk