Package theft has become an epidemic, with approximately 115 million packages stolen from residential locations in 2024 alone. Apartment dwellers are disproportionately affected, especially during peak shopping seasons like Black Friday and the holidays. Thieves know these are prime times to target apartment complexes because overwhelmed staff often stash overflow packages wherever space is available, making them vulnerable.
The core issue extends beyond theft to access friction. Delivery drivers often cannot access secured apartment buildings, forcing them to leave packages in unsecured public areas. Residents have shared frustrating stories of tracking a package all day, receiving delivery notifications, but arriving home to find the package missing. Locked gates only exacerbate this problem, as some deliveries are left outside in bad weather or at conspicuous locations.
This rising problem highlights a gap between building infrastructure and modern delivery demands—missed deliveries, stolen packages, and frustrated residents are now common challenges facing apartment communities and property managers alike.
Many apartment buildings still use legacy infrastructure designed for letter mail, not the volume or nature of today’s package deliveries. Residents now receive three or more packages per week, placing heavy stress on mailrooms and delivery systems that were never built for such demand.
Traditional methods such as clipboards and sticky notes for package logging are inadequate, leading to delayed notifications and prolonged vulnerability periods. When residents do not get timely information about delivered packages, these parcels remain unattended in shared spaces—lobbies, mailrooms, or building entrances—where anyone can access them, including opportunistic thieves who blend in with legitimate residents.
This infrastructure gap results in multiple failures, as old buzzers, intercoms, and callboxes often break or malfunction, failing to provide the reliable communication and access needed for smooth deliveries. The physical design of apartment complexes compounds the issue, creating additional security challenges not present in single-family homes.
Residents frequently report three related frustrations that impact their daily lives and trust in building access systems:
These persistent access and communication gaps cause stress for residents and create operational headaches for property managers, who struggle to meet modern delivery expectations with outdated equipment.
Many apartments rely on physical buzzers and phone intercom systems wired into buildings decades ago. These systems often malfunction or fail to connect when needed most, making it difficult for delivery drivers and visitors to gain access.
Broken buzzers and intercoms are common, and repairs can be expensive and slow. Furthermore, traditional systems lack remote access capabilities, meaning residents must be physically present to buzz someone in—a major inconvenience especially during deliveries or when residents are busy or away.
Additionally, these old systems offer minimal security: shared lobby codes or constantly open gates increase the risks of unauthorized entry and “buzzer bombing,” where strangers continuously press buzzers attempting entry. Property managers face liability as residents’ packages and security are compromised.
The smart building industry is rapidly evolving with new technologies aimed at solving apartment access and delivery challenges. Key trends include:
Looking ahead, AI-driven tracking systems, refrigerated lockers for perishables, and increased partnerships between property management and delivery companies are expected to become mainstream. Residents increasingly seek contactless, secure, and convenient smart buzzer options, prioritizing safety and efficiency.
EnterKey transforms any apartment buzzer into a modern smart access system designed specifically for today’s delivery and resident needs. Here’s how it addresses common pain points:
Temporary PINs: EnterKey generates time-limited, single-use PIN codes that residents can send to delivery drivers, guests, or service personnel. This removes the need to answer the buzzer or rely on broken intercoms, maintaining building security without hassle.
Free Plan with 5 Buzzes per Month: EnterKey offers a unique free tier that lets residents try smart buzzing with no upfront cost and without requiring building-wide cooperation, making it accessible for virtually any apartment community.
No Hardware Required: EnterKey’s cloud-based app operates with existing buzzers and intercoms, so no expensive hardware upgrades or building modifications are necessary, enabling fast, zero-cost adoption.
Remote Buzzing: Residents can buzz visitors or delivery drivers in from anywhere using their smartphones, avoiding missed deliveries and improving convenience.
Delivery-Friendly Design: EnterKey is integrated with DoorDash, UberEats, Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and others to provide seamless, secure delivery access that protects packages from theft.
Guest and Roommate Access: The app allows users to easily share temporary or ongoing access with family, friends, or roommates, adapting to different lifestyles without sharing permanent lobby codes.
Security & Audit Trail: Every buzz and entry attempt is logged in real-time, providing residents and property managers with accountability and peace of mind.
By tackling broken buzzers, access friction, “buzzer bombing,” and package theft with a smart, cloud-based solution, EnterKey bridges the gap between outdated apartment entry systems and modern delivery demands.
Outdated apartment buzzers and intercoms cause delivery failures, stolen packages, and resident frustration. EnterKey’s smart buzzer app with temporary PIN access offers a practical, secure, and affordable solution that modernizes building entry, reduces theft, and improves resident satisfaction without costly hardware upgrades.
Don’t let your apartment building lose millions to outdated door systems. Experience the convenience and security of EnterKey’s smart buzzer technology—start with five free buzzes every month with no hardware installation required. Give your building the upgrade it deserves and say goodbye to delivery hassles, broken buzzers, and missed packages. Try EnterKey today for free and join countless residents and property managers enjoying seamless, secure apartment access and deliveries.