{"id":1021,"date":"2020-10-12T06:00:31","date_gmt":"2020-10-12T10:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=1021"},"modified":"2024-04-25T23:20:28","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T03:20:28","slug":"is-smart-home-technology-turning-property-managers-into-spies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/is-smart-home-technology-turning-property-managers-into-spies\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Smart Home Technology Turning Property Managers Into Spies?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We\u2019ve talked about smart\nhome technology<\/a> for homeowners. Now, in this article, we explore the\nadvancement of smart apartments \u2014 when somebody other than the home\u2019s resident\nputs the devices in place. Some of the products mentioned here, including entrance\naccess technology and online financial portals, are also relevant to condominiums.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, Wi-Fi thermostats and smart locks are big\nsellers, whether for houses, condos, or apartments. They\u2019re convenient, and\nthey can even be lifesavers. Smartphone apps can help protect tenants from\nintruders or domestic abusers. And as the technology advances, smart homes\ncould offer attractive benefits \u2014 for example, by alerting people to water or\ngas leaks, by making directions to multi-unit properties easier and more fuel-efficient,\nor by providing safe ways for delivery drivers to drop off parcels inside a\nlocked building. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But privacy advocates believe some smart home advancements overstep\nreasonable boundaries, creating distrust between people and their property\nmanagers. If that\u2019s the case, could we embrace the potential of smart\ntechnology while protecting residents\u2019 privacy? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Alexa, Mind Your Own Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alexa for Residential<\/a>, from Amazon, Inc., lets property\nmanagers set up accounts for residents to pay rent and submit maintenance\nrequests. Amazon describes Alexa for Residential as a ready-to-use,\nvoice-activated system, from which residents can hear the news and weather and\nset reminders using the Echo speakers in their units. So far, so good, if\nyou\u2019re one of many residents of multi-unit properties who appreciate these\nfeatures. But not all renters want the tech in every case. And generally, the\ncosts for multi-unit property tech is passed along to residents whether or not\nthey want it installed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Amazon Echo speakers\u2019 Drop In feature<\/a>, someone can connect to another property\u2019s device remotely, if given permission and\u00a0when both devices are online. This allows the remote party to communicate with\u00a0other parties, and to see and hear their surroundings. It could also allow for virtual unit inspections. Amazon claims<\/a> it\u2019s not possible for landlords to run Echo speakers in rental properties with the landlords\u2019 own accounts \u2014 at least not without the tenant\u2019s permission. Amazon also says property managers won\u2019t have access to whatever the Alexa digital assistant records<\/a> of residents\u2019 transactions. Still, residents might have reason to wonder, given that Amazon employees have listened to conversations captured by Alexa<\/a> in the past. In the development of artificial intelligence, human listeners play a role in improving machine learning and responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Landlords\u2019 Fuzz Busters? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CNET<\/a><\/em> describes and displays an advertisement from a security tech company, suggesting its artificial intelligence-based intercoms and doorbell cameras could help landlords raise rents and get around New York City\u2019s policing of the\u00a0Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which protects tenants from unreasonable rent charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The product, sold as an artificial-intelligence-powered \u201cdoorman,\u201d\ntracks everyone who comes and goes to and from a property, whether to make\ndeliveries, visit, or enter and leave their homes. The property owner\u2019s\ndashboard shows images of all the activity. The technology has been purchased\nby hundreds of New York landlords, and is available for shipping nationwide and\naround the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like a lot of property surveillance tech, the virtual doorman concept is also marketed as a benefit or convenience for residents. Yet because the doorbell needs a cell connection, it won\u2019t ring if the internet connection is lost \u2014 an issue raised by residents\u2019 reviews of the app<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resisting\nthe Landlord Tech <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A number of high-profile actions and projects have arisen to\nchallenge smart home tech at multi-unit properties:<\/p>\n\n\n\n