Benefits and Challenges of a Multifamily Surveillance System

Video surveillance systems were once reserved for “A-class” properties. As technology has advanced, they have become more cost-effective and may even be considered a necessity. Potential residents expect them, while opportunistic people may seek out communities that lack them. Beyond that, video surveillance has evolved into a valuable property management tool with a variety of applications. However, benefits come with certain challenges. Understanding both can lead to an informed decision on installing a system and how to make this potentially multifaceted tool an asset to a community.

Benefits of a Surveillance System

There are countless benefits to a surveillance system. The mere presence of cameras can encourage better behavior from residents, visitors, and even site teams. Within the multifamily industry, these benefits fall into three key categories: system capabilities, management tools, and asset protection.

System Capabilities

• A surveillance system has the potential to record continuous activity on site, assisting with scheduling challenges associated with other resources, like physical guards that do not provide 24-hour coverage.
• Cameras do not have interpretative opinions. They provide an objective record of events, eliminating human error in the recollection of an event.
• Remote access to the system allows management to monitor properties from anywhere. A site is never left “blind”, even when the office is closed or there is no onsite staff.
• Camera analytics, such as automated license plate readers, provide robust methods to track events and identify responsible parties.

Management Tools

• Community compliance: A surveillance system can verify if residents access amenities, such as pools or gyms, outside of the designated hours. It also identifies individuals who misuse community spaces and cause damage, ensuring accountability.
• Staffing Compliance: Management can ensure the leasing office is open and staffed in accordance with set hours and company policies. Maintenance teams can be held accountable for completing shifts and assignments.
• Contractors can be tracked to ensure they are onsite and performing the work they were hired to do. A surveillance system can also be used to align the work that was invoiced and what was completed.
• Package delivery: Disputes of delivery are a common issue. Cameras can verify if and when a package was delivered as well as who received or may have taken it.

Asset Protection

Beyond being a home for so many people, an apartment community is an asset for its ownership group. Video surveillance is an optimal way to protect that asset. When issues arise that threaten or damage it, cameras provide the following.

• Evidence of what occurred.
• Documentation of disputes between residents or team members.
• Identification of vandals or illegal dumping.
• Assisting law enforcement by supplying video evidence of events that occurred onsite or just off the property. Tracking suspects back to an apartment community can lead to the removal of a problematic resident.

Challenges of a Surveillance System

Assessing a video surveillance system by listing the benefits only tells half the story. Challenges need to be discussed so an informed decision can be made as to whether a system is beneficial. An effective surveillance system requires significant effort to ensure it is reliable and utilized.

Time is a luxury most multifamily site teams cannot afford to spare. However, most effective video surveillance systems require plenty of it.

System maintenance is a daily endeavor. Diligence in supporting the system is a must, or recordings might not be available when an event occurs. Key maintenance tasks include:

• Cleaning the camera lenses to maintain clear images.
• Ensuring cameras are in focus and provide image quality for usable footage.
• Verifying that recordings are captured and stored.
• Checking camera position to ensure it is stable and has not fallen out of place. A camera pointing directly towards the ground is useless. The proper intent and scene must be verified.
• The system runs continuously. Failure is inevitable and at some point, the equipment will break. There can be significant costs to replace the system and keep it operating.

Once a management team is confident in the ability to allocate time for the upkeep of the system, the budget needs to be able to absorb any ongoing costs. These costs often come without warning. They also require additional time from the management team to order equipment and schedule repairs. Once these obstacles are addressed, there is still one major task – accessing and utilizing the actual footage!

Bluntly stated, a video surveillance system is completely useless if the captured footage is not used. Does the onsite team have the time to download and review hours upon hours of footage? Beyond downloading it, the bigger challenge lies in watching the footage, locating the specific event, and editing it into a useful deliverable. This is quite the undertaking, particularly on sites with lots of activity.

Watchtower Security’s Solution

Watchtower Security’s solution offloads all the potential drawbacks of managing a video surveillance system. A set monthly rate is necessary for managing a budget. Within this, Watchtower’s solution is turnkey. The system is continuously checked to ensure maximum uptime. All equipment has an all-inclusive warranty, and replacements come with no additional cost. The review team will locate and process the hours of footage and deliver a convenient compilation video and summary of any requested event.

By offloading all the responsibilities of a surveillance system to Watchtower Security, onsite teams can focus on their primary responsibilities –  effectively managing the community and working towards the ultimate goal of 100% occupancy. Contact Watchtower Security today to learn more.