Electronic keys that function like their traditional brass counterparts are trendy.
At Harborside Management’s 1,200 Maryland apartments, residents’ peace of mind is the top priority when determining the units’ key control technology. Dave Laikin, Owner and Managing Member of Harborside, says residents prefer more traditional-looking keys for their apartments, regardless of functionality.
“We use a plastic key because not all residents are comfortable psychologically with using a keycard,” he says. “They don’t feel as secure.”
The shape of Harborside’s electronic plastic key resembles its traditional brass counterpart, but functions like a keycard because it works with Saflok’s electronic technology.
Residents insert the key into a small, round hole where a keyway typically is located on the door and twist it 90 degrees until a green light appears, signaling that the door is unlocked. Laikin says the keys can be programmed with a hand-held unit.
“They’re just as secure as a traditional deadbolt, and we don’t have to deal with a locksmith,” Laikin says.
Don Kinney, Regional Portfolio Manager for REIT Essex Property Trust, says several of his California communities also use Saflok’s electronic plastic keys. “The plastic keys are much easier to use than traditional keys and there’s no real equipment to worry about other than a hand-held device and a computer,” he says. “They’re just a real time-saving, space-saving product. Any concern about a lost key getting in the hands of someone else is no longer an issue, as we can immediately deprogram the key from a remote location,” Kinney says.
Prevent Bump Attacks
A lock picking technique so simple a 10-year-old could do it, lock bumping has become a serious security threat to multifamily housing, door hardware providers say.
Dave Kearns, Senior Marketing Manager for Master Lock, says the technique, once closely guarded by locksmiths, has become public knowledge in the past five years.
“Lock bumping is something that is gaining notoriety with videos and instruction manuals available all over the Internet, and unfortunately anyone can go online and purchase a full set of bump keys,” Kearns says.
To bump a lock, an intruder utilizes a specially cut key (which takes less than five minutes to make) and taps, or bumps, the key into a lock cylinder. This sudden force causes the pins inside the lock to jump up long enough for the cylinder to rotate, unlocking the door and leaving no trace of entry.
Most apartment managers say they are aware of the problem but do not believe it has affected their communities or residents. ASTM International, a voluntary organization that develops technical standards for products, has acknowledged the potential problem by assigning a grade to locks based on their level of bump resistance. Kearns says multifamily managers can protect residents by installing locks with bump-resistant technology on apartment doors, as well as property storage facilities and sheds.
Available through most major security product supply companies nationwide, many bump-resistant locks feature programmable side bars rather than top pins. Others employ a unique top-pin design which prevents the transfer of force to the pins, blocking the rotation of the cylinder. Bump-resistant locks not only help prevent break-ins and protect residents, but can reduce insurance claims problems. Without proof of entry, Kearns says an insurance claim may be denied, leaving lock-bumping victims in the lurch. “We believe the threat is real and isn’t going away anytime soon, so we’re trying to motivate property managers to take action,” he says.
Concealed Keyways
Kwikset introduced a deadbolt with a second, hidden keyway designed for property managers. The Key Control Deadbolt features a single cylinder and standard resident keyway, with an additional keyway located behind the cylinder plate for use with a master key. To gain access to the hidden keyway, property managers insert a tool into a slot at the bottom of the plate, rotate the cover clockwise and expose the second keyway.