Most apartment buildings in Edmonton still run on metal keys somewhere. Front door, mailroom, parkade, bike storage, laundry, the amenity room. Each one has its own key, and each key has a way of ending up in a drawer, a pocket, or a former tenant's moving box.
An access control system replaces some or all of that with electronic credentials: a fob, a card, a code, or a phone. Instead of asking whether someone has the right key, the building asks whether this person is allowed through this door right now.
This post covers how those systems work, the parts involved, and what’s most important in a multi-unit building. If you are comparing options or planning a project, it should give you the vocabulary to have a useful conversation with an installer.
The parts of a system
Every access control system, whatever the brand, comes down to the same handful of components.
Credentials. This is what a person presents: a key fob, a proximity card, a PIN code, or a smartphone. Fobs and cards carry a small chip with a unique number. That number is what the system recognizes, not the person.
Readers. The reader is the device mounted beside the door. It picks up the credential (or takes the keypad entry) and passes the information along. Readers are the part residents actually see and touch.
Electrified door hardware. This is what physically locks the door. The two common types are the electric strike, which replaces the strike plate and releases the latch, and the magnetic lock, which holds the door shut with an electromagnet. There are also electrified locksets and exit devices for specific door types. Which one suits a door depends on the door, the frame, and how the door is used.
The controller. The controller is the decision-maker. It holds the list of who is allowed where, receives the signal from the reader, and tells the door hardware whether to release. Controllers are usually installed in a utility room or electrical closet, not at the door.
The management software. This is where an administrator adds and removes credentials, sets schedules, and reviews activity. Depending on the system, it runs on a computer on site or in the cloud.
Power and exit hardware. Electrified doors need power, and a way to get out. Request-to-exit devices and door position sensors tell the system when someone is leaving normally, so it does not log a forced door. People must always be able to leave a building freely, and the hardware is installed with that requirement in mind.
What happens when someone badges in
From the resident's side it takes about a second. Behind the scenes, there are four steps:
The resident presents a fob to the reader.
The reader sends the credential number to the controller.
The controller checks its list. Is this credential active? Is it allowed at this door? Is it allowed at this time?
If yes, the controller releases the lock for a few seconds and records the event. If no, the door stays locked and the attempt is logged.
That log is one of the biggest practical differences from keys. A metal key does not tell you who used it or when. A credential does.
Standalone, networked, and cloud systems
Not every system is built the same way, and the differences affect how much work it is to run.
Standalone systems are programmed at the door or with a handheld device. They suit a single door or a small building, but every change means a visit to the door.
Networked systems connect all the doors to one controller and one software platform, usually on a server on site. An administrator can change access for the whole building from one screen. This is the typical setup for a mid-size or larger apartment building.
Cloud-based systems move the management software online, so changes can be made from a browser or phone without a server in the building. They tend to reduce on-site equipment and make remote administration easier, and they usually come with an ongoing subscription.
None of these is automatically better. The right fit depends on the number of doors, how many people manage the building, and how much ongoing administration the property team wants to take on.
The value of access control in an apartment building
The value shows up in day-to-day operations more than in the hardware itself.
Turnover. When a tenant moves out, their fob is deactivated in the software. The building does not have to rekey the lobby, mailroom, and parkade, and nobody has to chase a fob that was never returned. A replacement credential is issued to the next tenant.
Different doors, different rules. Residents can have access to the lobby, their parkade level, and the amenity room, but not the mechanical room. Contractors can be given access only to the doors and hours their work requires, and the access expires on its own.
Schedules. The front door can unlock during set hours for deliveries or visitors and lock back up afterward. Amenity rooms can close overnight without anyone walking over to lock them.
Records. If a door is propped open, forced, or used at an unexpected hour, the system has a record. That helps a property manager answer a board's questions with facts instead of guesses.
Lost credentials. A lost fob is deactivated in the software. The finder cannot use it, and nothing else in the building changes.
Edmonton considerations
A few points are worth raising with any installer here.
Cold weather. Readers, strikes, and mag locks live outdoors or in unheated vestibules. Ask about operating temperature ratings and how the hardware has held up in a prairie winter.
Power loss. Decide in advance what each door should do if power drops. Some doors should stay locked, others should release. That choice is called fail-secure or fail-safe, and it is set door by door. Battery backup keeps the system running through short outages.
Heavy-use doors. Main entrances take the most wear, and door closers and latching have to be in good order for any electronic lock to work reliably.
Questions to ask before you install
Who will administer the system day to day, and how much training does that take?
Are credentials and readers from an open standard, or are you locked to one supplier?
What does the ongoing cost look like: licensing, support, replacement fobs?
Can the system grow if you add doors or another building later?
What happens to the data and the system if you change service providers?
A note on scope
This post stays on access control: how the electronic side of a building's entry works. If you are looking at the wider picture of rental property security, including locks, hardware, and other upgrades, that is covered in post #6, Top Security Upgrades for Edmonton Rental Properties.
Learn more or talk it through
If you are planning an access control project, or trying to make sense of a system you have inherited, our access control services page outlines the work we do and the kinds of buildings we do it in.
Ace Locksmith Services Inc. is a licensed, bonded Edmonton locksmith with journeyman-certified technicians. We work with property managers and condo boards across Edmonton and area, from single-door upgrades to multi-door systems. Call 780-999-0456 or get in touch through the contact page.