Video intercoms for apartment buildings and HOAs.
What a video intercom does for an apartment, condo, or HOA entrance, what to decide before buying, and how it connects to the door.
By Lock Raven, Maryland Locksmith License #737 · · 5 min read
What does a video intercom do?
A visitor finds the resident in a directory and calls. The resident sees and hears them on a phone app or an indoor monitor and presses a button to unlock the door. Many systems also let residents enter with a code, fob, or their phone.
What should a building decide first?
- How residents answer: app, indoor monitor, or both.
- Who manages the directory when residents move in and out.
- Deliveries: codes for couriers, a package room, or a delivery window.
- Resident entry: fobs, codes, or phones, and how lost fobs are switched off.
- Wiring and network: what already runs to the door, and whether the system needs internet.
What happens at the door?
The intercom sends a signal to the lock. Usually that is an electric strike or a maglock. A good door closer matters too: if the door does not close and latch, the system is not securing anything.
Can an old buzzer be upgraded?
Often, yes. Existing wiring, the door hardware, and the power supply can sometimes be reused, which keeps the upgrade simpler. A site visit is the only way to know.
Need a hand with this? Talk to a licensed locksmith.
Lock Raven serves Baltimore City and Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Harford, Carroll, and Howard counties. Every job is priced before work starts.