The U.S. student housing market has seen significant growth in recent years, with private student housing companies responsible for a large share of off-campus accommodation. Every year thousands of students move in and out of these residencies making fast and seamless operational management important. Off-campus private student housing providers are therefore under increasing pressure to deliver secure, seamless, and technology-first living that facilitate operations and attract and retain students.
Despite the growing demand for modern solutions, one thing that the majority of student housing businesses still rely on and haven’t updated is physical keycards and fobs for door access. The exchange of physical keys or keycards at the end of every year is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process and one that if automated by switching to mobile credentials could save a lot of staff time. By enabling students to use a single smartphone credential to access rooms, common areas, and amenities, operators no longer have to be on-site to provision credentials and can automate access management, dramatically reducing staff workload, generating an ROI and improving overall resident satisfaction. In addition, security is tightened, unauthorized access due to the sharing of keycards is prevented with mobile credentials, improving on-site safety.
Today’s leading student housing management companies such as Campus Apartments, The Preiss Company, The Scion Group, Greystar Student Living, and The Collier Companies are setting new standards in amenities, service, and safety. But many are still relying on legacy access control systems that were never designed for a mobile-first generation.
Reasons why student housing operators are delaying the upgrade to mobile credentials
Budget constraints and tight timeframes are some of the main reasons for many operators delaying the upgrade to mobile credentials. Being a highly competitive market with more that 1,500 providers in the US, many student housing providers face budget pressures as a result of them having to lower rents to remain competitive and keep occupancy up. This affects the budget for other areas of investment, including building facilities, security and technology.
Up to now upgrading to mobile credentials would involve ripping out existing proximity card readers or whatever legacy reader technology is installed and replacing them with new mobile compatible readers, an expensive, disruptive and time consuming process. Now with innovative developments in software from companies like Sentry Interactive, operators can simply integrate NFC mobile access software with their existing system and provide student residents with mobile credentials without replacing any readers.
Scale mobile access without hardware costs and disruption
Mobile access credential software like the solution offered by Sentry Interactive enables students to use a single mobile credential to access their building entrance and shared spaces securely. For student housing managers issuing and revoking access can simply be done by the touch of a button and time-limited digital credentials can even be provided for temporary access for contractors or subletting during the summer break. Sentry’s software integrates with existing legacy access control hardware already installed across buildings, and the mobile credentials work without compatible reader hardware, eliminating the rising costs and disruption of reader replacements.
Why integrated mobile credentials are the future for student housing
1. A convenient modern access experience for students
Students carry their smartphones everywhere on and off campus, with their door access credential stored on their phone; this means no more forgotten or lost keycards reducing front desk trips to replace them.
2. Seamless software integration with no reader hardware
Sentry Interactive’s NFC mobile access software works with a broad range of legacy access systems including those that use proximity card readers, enabling operators to adopt mobile credentials without costly hardware replacements, no matter what make, model, or age of readers they already have in place.
3. Improved operational efficiency
Operators can manage student access permissions remotely every year, reducing administrative load and enhancing security. Lost or stolen credentials can be instantly deactivated without reissuing keycards or fobs.
4. Add as a feature in existing student housing apps
Mobile credentials can be added to third-party student housing apps if applicable. Meaning student residents don’t have to download any new apps to use their mobile credential, it simply is added as a feature in their current student housing app and uses in-built smartphone near field communication (NFC) technology.
Providing a competitive edge for student housing operators
In a competitive marketplace where student experience matters, offering frictionless, modern access can provide a valuable competitive advantage to student housing companies. Cost-effective solutions to NFC mobile access like Sentry mobile credential software now enables operators on a tight budget to be able to compete and offer convenience and efficiency via a mobile access experience for students and front desk staff. For operators, investing in resident experience technology helps attract and retain residents, and reduces operating costs, generating ROI in the long term. Mobile credential software empowers off campus student housing providers to leapfrog traditional mobile access barriers, avoiding the capital expenditure of reader hardware replacement and remaining competitive.
If you would like to offer your student tenants with NFC mobile credentials to access your building without the cost of reader hardware, please get in touch to integrate.
