November 27, 2025

How Smart Access Systems Solve Apartment Building Delivery and Security Challenges

Discover why 20% of apartment delivery attempts fail due to traditional buzzer and intercom issues, and how modern smart access systems like EnterKey provide secure, delivery-friendly solutions with remote buzzing and temporary PINs.

Why This Problem Matters

In apartment buildings, delivery failures and security vulnerabilities are a growing headache for residents, property managers, and delivery drivers alike. With approximately 20% of delivery attempts failing on the first try due to access issues, many packages never reach residents in time, or at all. This issue is compounded by the surge in e-commerce and food delivery, with over 70 million packages delivered daily in the US and one in three Americans ordering food weekly. Missed deliveries often mean wasted time and frustration for residents, lost revenue for delivery services, and increased operational complexity for property managers.

Package theft is another major concern. Unattended packages left in unsecured lobbies or outside the building become easy prey to theft, especially during busy seasons when mailrooms are overwhelmed. As delivery volumes spike, the risk of theft and misplaced packages rises sharply, leaving residents anxious and dissatisfied.

Moreover, the way deliveries are managed can undermine building security. Delivery drivers waiting outside often create bottlenecks, and the lack of monitored entry points increases the risk of unauthorized individuals tailgating into the building. This not only threatens the safety of residents but also creates liability issues for property managers who struggle to control access effectively.

Real Examples: What Actually Happens

From the perspective of delivery drivers, inefficiencies and delays are common. Drivers frequently arrive at buildings only to find broken buzzers or unresponsive intercoms, leaving them stranded outside. Without a way to remotely buzz residents or get temporary access, many drivers must call or text residents to gain entry, causing delays that ripple through their schedules.

Residents often experience missed deliveries due to these access hurdles. In many cases, packages are left unattended outside or returned to delivery centers because the driver couldn’t enter. Some tenants express frustration with package rooms that have restricted hours or complicated access methods, further complicating pickup. Property managers, too, report challenges in distributing keys or codes to delivery personnel, struggling to keep track of access permissions amid constantly rotating couriers.

One particularly troubling scenario involves “buzzer bombing,” where individuals exploit broken or outdated buzzer systems to gain unauthorized access or cause disruption in the building. This security concern highlights the urgent need for modern, monitored access systems that prevent abuse and provide reliable entry controls.

What’s Wrong With Traditional Systems

Traditional apartment buzzers and phone intercom systems rely on outdated wiring and hardware that often malfunction or become unreliable. Broken buzzers are common, leaving residents and delivery drivers locked out with no easy solution. These systems lack the ability to remotely grant access, forcing residents to answer calls on their phones or physically buzz guests from their apartments, leading to missed or delayed entries.

Physical key distribution to delivery drivers generates security risks and logistical challenges. Property managers lose track of who holds keys, and once inside, drivers may access areas beyond what is necessary, jeopardizing resident privacy. Additionally, shared lobby codes, while convenient, pose significant security risks when widely distributed to residents, couriers, and guests alike.

These legacy systems also fail to provide visibility into building access logs or audit trails, making it difficult to investigate incidents or monitor unusual activity. The lack of integration with modern logistics platforms means there’s no streamlined way to coordinate deliveries or provide temporary access based on delivery schedules.

Modern Smart Access: Industry Trends

The multifamily housing industry is shifting towards digital, cloud-based access solutions that improve convenience, security, and operational efficiency. Modern smart buzzers and phone intercom systems now include features like temporary PIN codes that can be sent directly to delivery drivers or guests for time-limited access.

Remote buzzing capabilities allow residents to grant entry through their smartphones from anywhere, eliminating the need to be physically present or by the door. Cloud-based systems offer real-time security logs and audit trails for enhanced monitoring and peace of mind.

Importantly, these solutions do not require costly hardware upgrades or rewiring. Instead, apps like EnterKey leverage existing buzzer systems and provide a delivery-friendly design that integrates with popular services like DoorDash, UberEats, Amazon, FedEx, and UPS. Partnerships between property managers and access platforms are becoming more common, streamlining the delivery and resident experience.

How EnterKey Solves This Problem

EnterKey transforms any apartment buzzer into a smart access system that resolves delivery and security issues without expensive hardware upgrades. Its cloud-based mobile app allows residents and property managers to grant entry remotely, ensuring delivery drivers and guests never get stuck outside again.

One of EnterKey’s standout features is the use of temporary PINs—time-limited and single-use codes that can be sent instantly to delivery drivers or visitors. This ensures access is controlled and secure, while eliminating the security risks tied to shared lobby codes or physical keys.

EnterKey offers a free plan that includes 5 buzzes per month, a unique advantage for residents who want smart access without any cost or building management cooperation. This enables residents to enjoy the benefits of remote buzzing and easy delivery access without delays or hassles.

The system is designed with delivery efficiency in mind, working seamlessly with major services like DoorDash, UberEats, Amazon, FedEx, and UPS. This delivery-friendly design ensures drivers can access buildings quickly and safely, reducing missed deliveries and bottlenecks.

Additionally, EnterKey supports guest and family access sharing, enhancing convenience for tenants who want to grant controlled access to friends or roommates. The app tracks all entries with real-time security audit logs, giving residents and property managers clear visibility and increased confidence in building security.

Significantly, EnterKey requires zero hardware installation or building-wide upgrades, making adoption cost-free and straightforward for any apartment building. This zero-cost adoption lowers barriers for property managers and residents, accelerating the modernization of outdated and unreliable buzzer apartment systems.

Takeaway

The challenges of delivery failures, broken buzzers, security risks, and complex key distributions make traditional apartment entry systems outdated and inefficient. EnterKey is the modern smart buzzer solution that eliminates these barriers, providing a secure, delivery-friendly, and cost-effective way to manage building access.

By enabling remote buzzing, temporary PINs, and real-time audit trails without requiring hardware upgrades, EnterKey is uniquely positioned to solve access problems for residents, delivery drivers, and property managers alike.

Try EnterKey for Free Today

If you're frustrated with missed deliveries, broken buzzers, or complicated building access, EnterKey offers a simple, smart, and secure solution. Get started with EnterKey’s free plan, which includes 5 buzzes per month—enough to cover most delivery needs without any cost or building cooperation involved.

Enjoy the convenience of remote buzzing from your smartphone, share temporary PINs with delivery drivers, guests, or roommates for time-limited access, and never worry about lost packages or security breaches again. EnterKey works with your existing buzzer apartment system—no hardware changes required.

Join thousands of happy residents and property managers who trust EnterKey to secure their buildings and improve delivery experiences. Try EnterKey for free today and experience the future of apartment building access management.