My apartment complex has decided to ditch keys for an app. The company is Door.com and was formerly known as Latch.
You can either use the app to unlock a door with Bluetooth or you can punch in the code. The doorcode is only seven digits and does not change (unless you want to, I think). Locks for all units have been changed as well as the doors to entrances to the building and the communal spaces. Separate code for the latter.
I had to install the app to get the codes and there was no option to visit a website to set it up.
The app keeps a history of when you’ve entered your apartment and accessed any communal spaces.
And hope this stuff doesn’t become ubiquitous. It’s just another way to control everyone and force people into their proprietary crap using convenience and security as a selling point.
No more lost keys: Traditional keys are very insecure and can be lost at any time, resulting in costly rekeying expenses and painful lockouts for residents. With digital access, lost keys are a thing of the past. Even if a resident loses their phone or wearable device, unlocking their door is as simple as borrowing a friend’s phone and logging into Homebase with their password.
That’s if anyone is willing to let you borrow their phone, and even then your account can be banned at any time. Door.com, Homebase, or some other company can basically lock you out of your own home permanently.
Maybe it’d be better to talk about this with fellow tenants..? That way you guys can band together and demand change from the complex owner. IDK what we can do to help you other than suggest possible workarounds, which I think are few and far between in this case. If anything, I would agree with @LukewarmNinja and move out.
You don’t need the app. You never need the app. Just punch in the code or ask for a keyfob. You don’t have to install the app, the landlord’s security people can generate them for you.
Every system on the market supports keyfobs or keycodes. None of them require an app. With any electronic system, the landlords can already track your comings and goings. And I would bet there is a “temporary” access code they give out to every delivery driver. The one for my complex hasn’t changed in three years and still works.
The elderly people in my complex don’t have smart phones, still have copper landlines, and refuse to change. I joined them in getting a key fob and code. Never installing some crappy app from anyone, ever.
What I’ve learned over the years is that about 50% of the residents here don’t have the app and asked for the codes and key fobs. Only the non-critical thinkers install and use the app daily.
They’ve already replaced all the locks with the electronic versions. You initially need the app to retrieve the doorcode but don’t need it afterwards. Most of the people in my building are young so I think they assumed everyone would have a phone to install the app.
I believe you. I also have door.com nonsense. I never installed the app. I opened a ticket with the security team and asked for codes, they emailed them to me and a keyfob. If they replaced all the locks without warning, that’s a lawsuit and they know it. Whether you want to go through all that is up to you.
We had a 1 month notice that all this was happening. If they did it without warning, or I wasn’t aware, I’d just call up the emergency number on the keypad or the after-hours support every time I wanted to get in and out. You’ll find out the keycodes and keyfobs are available very quickly.
Added: or just call a neighbor and say the door isn’t working, can they buzz you in, etc. It works a few times until you can get your keyfob/codes.
Further, when the property management company called me to find out why I wanted the codes, and could I just install the app, I went full open source zealot on them. I said my phone runs linux (it does) and I’ll need to source code to the application so I can inspect it for security bugs and to compile it. I could hear their eyes glazing over and they just said here are some codes, and we’ll mail you a few keyfobs.
Nope. No vote and my building is owned by a company. They make use of plenty of apps like one to access the portal, one to notify of when a package arrives, etc. I feel like my information is just being passed around to every 3rd party that wants it.
To me, it sounds like a scheme to get more money and data out of you. Not to mention control. I would not be surprised if with this app, landlords would have the power to remotely lock you out of your apartment.
Just recently, I saw a video of a guy whose apartment building uses key fobs. He lives with his girlfriend and his key fob stopped working. The building said they could get him a new one for €70, which is insane. Turns out, you can buy generic blank key fobs for cheap and a machine that can duplicate the internal mechanism of a working key. So that’s what he did. It only cost him about €20 in total, and now he has many duplicates of his key.
I know that in some countries, tenants are not allowed to duplicate their apartment keys, but if a landlord is gonna charge you so much, I understand why people do it.
This is usually the way, and as I often say around here that privacy is often obtained with non-technical solutions. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of assuming all tech must have a technical solution.