In today’s fast-paced world, delivery drivers often face significant obstacles when trying to access apartment buildings during peak times. This “dinner rush door jam” not only causes frustration but also leads to missed food deliveries from services like DoorDash and UberEats. Residents must frequently buzz drivers in or physically come down to let them through, creating bottlenecks at entry points. These delays expose delivery drivers and residents alike to tailgating risks and increase the chances of unauthorized entry. For a courier trying to complete dozens of stops in a short window, every wasted minute at a locked entrance compounds the problem. Meanwhile, residents suffer missed packages or delayed meals, disrupting daily routines.
The volume of deliveries is staggering — the U.S. sees about 70 million packages delivered daily. Many of these go to apartments with outdated buzzer or intercom systems that lack remote access or smart scheduling features. As online shopping and food delivery surge, these problems only intensify. For property managers, the chaos includes juggling key distributions, handling unpredictable courier traffic, and addressing security concerns tied to building entry.
Failing to resolve these issues leads to growing dissatisfaction among residents and delivery drivers, higher security risks, and a tangible loss of convenience that everyone in the community feels. It’s clear that apartment buildings need smarter, more flexible entry systems that keep pace with today’s delivery demands.
Consider the example of a tenant in a California apartment building who repeatedly missed Amazon and USPS deliveries because locked gates prevented couriers from entering. These packages, often left outside in all kinds of weather, sometimes got damaged or stolen. The tenant pushed the landlord for gate codes, but was denied due to legal concerns over security control. This left the resident without a reliable way to receive their packages securely—and the couriers stuck outside.
During food delivery surges, another common scenario unfolds: drivers crowd the building entrance, waiting to be buzzed in as no front desk or doorman staff exist to facilitate access. This build-up can take several minutes, frustrating drivers and residents and increasing the chance of tailgating—where unauthorized individuals slip in right behind others. Such incidents raise security worries while increasing the likelihood of late or cold meal deliveries.
Package rooms, a partial solution in some buildings, frequently have their own limitations. Restricted access hours, lack of attendants, or locked self-service systems mean tenants often can’t pick up packages outside business hours, causing complaints and dissatisfaction. In some places, handing out physical keys to rotating couriers adds another layer of security risk; property managers struggle to track who has building access at any given time.
Many apartment buildings still rely on old-fashioned buzzer systems, wired intercoms, and callboxes that date back decades. These systems demand the resident to actively buzz in every visitor or courier, often requiring them to answer their phones or run downstairs. Such manual steps are burdensome and prone to failure, especially during busy delivery windows.
Traditional buzzers and phone intercom systems lack remote access capabilities. Residents can’t buzz someone in while away from home or while occupied with other tasks, leading to missed deliveries and inconveniences. Broken buzzers and wiring issues are common and often take weeks or months to repair, further escalating frustrations.
Moreover, distributing physical keys or lobby codes compromises building security. Codes can be shared widely without oversight, and keys can be lost or copied. These hazards contribute to “buzzer bombing” — unwanted individuals repeatedly gaining access — and elevate risks of theft or vandalism within the building.
The property management industry is increasingly turning to smart access solutions that use cloud-based technology and temporary entry passes. One-time PIN codes and single-use delivery passes are growing in popularity, allowing couriers secure and limited-time access controlled remotely by residents or staff. This approach bypasses outdated buzzers and streamlines entry during peak hours.
Video intercom systems connected to remote doormen offer 24/7 access monitoring but require ongoing staff involvement, which many buildings can’t support. Meanwhile, app-based solutions like Fetch and Luxer One add package tracking, scheduling, and secure code sharing features to reduce staff workload.
Cloud-managed package rooms are another trend aimed at reducing lobby clutter and theft, letting tenants pick up parcels securely at any time. However, these don’t fully solve the challenge of quickly admitting delivery drivers during meal rushes or sudden surges.
EnterKey transforms any apartment building buzzer into a modern, smart buzzer system that dramatically improves access management. At its core, EnterKey replaces outdated intercoms with secure, PIN-based mobile entry that residents can control remotely from their smartphones. No hardware upgrades or costly installations are necessary — EnterKey works seamlessly with existing setups, lowering barriers for building adoption.
One of EnterKey’s standout features is temporary PINs: time-limited, single-use delivery codes that residents or property managers can generate instantly. These codes let couriers or guests enter buildings without the resident needing to answer the buzzer or leave their apartment. Drivers from DoorDash, UberEats, Amazon, FedEx, and UPS all benefit from hassle-free, secure entry that prevents bottlenecks or tailgating risks.
With EnterKey’s free plan, residents receive five free buzzes each month — a unique offering in the market that encourages trial without pressure. The app supports remote buzzing, making it easy to let someone in from anywhere, anytime. In addition, it includes guest and roommate access sharing, giving residents full control over who enters the building and when.
Security is paramount; EnterKey provides a full audit trail that logs every entry event in real-time. This feature combats “buzzer bombing” and shared lobby code misuse by tracking and revoking codes as needed. By eliminating physical keys and scattered codes, EnterKey significantly enhances building security while simplifying management for property teams.
Designed specifically to accommodate delivery workflows, EnterKey boosts convenience and reliability for both drivers and residents. The cloud-based, reliable platform ensures no missed deliveries or frustrated tenants, even during surges. Best of all, adopting EnterKey involves zero hardware costs, making it accessible to buildings of all sizes and types.
Apartment building buzzer systems often fall short when it comes to handling modern delivery demands and security concerns. EnterKey is the modern answer, offering a smart buzzer solution that enhances convenience, security, and flexibility without costly hardware upgrades. By enabling temporary PINs, remote buzzing, and full access control, EnterKey removes the frustration of delivery failures and outdated intercom hassles.
Don’t let another delivery get stuck outside or leave your residents frustrated with clunky buzzers. Try EnterKey today for free and experience the ease of transforming your apartment entry system into a smart, secure gateway. With five free buzzes each month and no hardware required, EnterKey offers a seamless, delivery-friendly design that works with all the biggest courier services. Sign up now and give your building the smart buzzer solution it deserves—eliminate delivery bottlenecks and enjoy peace of mind with every entry.