Technology is advancing at breackneck speed, and the Internet of Things means that almost any kind of gadget or device can now be connected to the Web. This presents some fantastic opportuntities for property managers and landlords to utilize smart home devices streamline their business and make their investments more profitable.
The possibilities for landlords are endless, as the following guide from Towergate Insurance reveals. With Wi-Fi now so ubiquitous, there are many ways to take advantage of cutting-edge connectivity in the home to take the leg-work out of property management. Technology can be used to help with home security, keep tabs on tenants and individual properties, and personalize a property to meet the needs of the occupants – and this makes your job of managing your properties that much easier.
Smart Security
There are various smart security tools landlords can use to secure their properties and make their and their tenants lives easier, and possibly save on insurance costs as well. Smart locks, for example, can be fitted to a home to do away with the need for keys – which means that lost keys don’t need to be replaced. Smart locks are also more convenient. They work with a smartphone app, which means landlords don’t even have to be present to let someone in – instead, they can just authorize someone’s entry remotely, say the plumber for example.
Other security tools include alarms and motion sensors, which can send a signal to the landlord’s smartphone when they detect an intruder; security cameras, which do more or less the same thing with the added benefit they can potentially identify intruders; and smart light bulbs, which can be set to switch on and off automatically and deter thieves.
Smart Maintenance
As well as security, there’s also a bunch of great new maintenance gadgets that landlords can use to keep an eye on the wear and tear in their properties. Temperature and humidty sensors are able to monitor dampness and let landlords know when rising damp is becoming a problem in the home, allowing them to tackle the problem before too much damage is done. There are also sensors that can detect leaky pipes in a home and help to prevent water damage.
Smart thermostats like Next, meanwhile, allow you to control a property’s temperature remotely from a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Additionally they can act as a frostat which automatically turns on the boiler if the temperature drops dangerously low.
Less well known but equally valuable are smart irrigation systems to help keep the garden in order. Network connected sprinklers can be controlled from your smartphone or tablet, while solar powered sensors are available for obtaining full diagnostics on all of your plant life, catering accordingly for heat, humidity and soil conditions.
Finally, we mustn’t forget all of those smart appliances, which can help to save energy by operating more efficiently, and contact service centers themselves to obtain a diagnoses in the event of a problem.
About Mike Wheatley
