How to manage access in a coliving space or room-rental flat?

How to manage access in a coliving space or room-rental flat?

Managing a coliving space or room-rental flat raises a problem that doesn't exist in a conventional home: there isn't just one door to control. Residents need to get into the building, into the flat and, finally, open only their own private room.

When all this is handled with traditional keys, organisational problems soon appear: key copies, tenant changes, lost keys, access for cleaning or maintenance and different permissions for each person.

One alternative is to create an access control system for coliving that manages the building entrance, the flat door and each room separately, but within a single ecosystem.

At Todo Para Tu Hotel we've configured this type of solution using the AYR Integra ecosystem, combining different devices depending on the access point to be controlled.

You can go straight to our complete access control solution for coliving and room rentals.

The problem: a resident needs several access points, but only one private room

Imagine a four-bedroom flat let room by room.

All four residents need access to the building entrance and the flat's front door. However, once inside the flat, each should only have access to their own room.

In addition, the owner or manager may need to grant different permissions to cleaning, maintenance or administration staff, or to new residents.

So we actually have three levels of access:

1. Building entrance.
2. Flat front door.
3. Private room.

The key is to make these three levels work not as independent systems but as part of a single management ecosystem.

Building entrance, flat and room: three levels of access control

First level: how to manage access to the building entrance

The building entrance is usually one of the hardest points to solve, because it belongs to a residents' association and we normally can't freely change the shared lock.

An interesting solution is AYR Interphone, a device that integrates the existing compatible entry phone into the access control system.

The unit is installed inside the flat, linked to the entry phone, so there's no need to replace the building's whole door entry system.

This way, the building entrance can become the first level of the digital access system.

Second level: controlling the flat's front door

Once inside the building, we need to manage the flat's main entrance.

The AYR Pass smart lock can be used here to bring the front door into the AYR Integra ecosystem.

In a room-rental flat, this door is the shared entrance for all residents.

The advantage over the traditional system is that the manager can reduce reliance on physical key copies and manage access digitally.

The Pass also offers features such as app management, Bluetooth, configurable auto-locking and various security functions.

Third level: a separate lock for each room

This is one of the main differences between managing a conventional home and a room-rental flat.

We don't want every resident to be able to enter every room.

Each private room must have its own access permission.

To solve this, an AYR Smart Handle can be installed on each room door.

It's a smart electronic handle that controls individual access to an interior door and, in the AYR Integra version we sell, works with a PIN code and mobile phone access.

This means each resident can be authorised to enter the building, access the flat and open only their own room.

AYR Nex: the gateway for managing compatible devices remotely

When we want to use the remote management features of compatible devices, AYR Nex comes into play.

Nex acts as a gateway between the property's Wi-Fi network and the compatible Bluetooth devices in the AYR Integra ecosystem.

This is especially useful when the owner or manager isn't physically at the property and needs to manage the system from elsewhere.

The Nex's location should be planned taking into account the property layout, distances and obstacles between devices.

Real example: a 4-room coliving space

A configuration we've used to solve access control for a coliving flat with four rooms makes it easy to understand how the system works.

The flat needs to control the shared building entrance, the flat's front door and four separate rooms.

The result is a system with three clearly separate access levels, integrated within the same management approach.

What permissions can each resident have?

In this type of system, permissions can be structured so each user only has the access they need.

For example:

It's precisely this distinction between shared and private access that makes this type of system especially useful for coliving.

What happens when a tenant changes?

This is one of the main problems of a flat managed with conventional keys.

When a resident leaves, we have to get their keys back and trust that there are no extra copies.

With a digital access system, this can be greatly simplified by managing the permissions linked to each user.

The new resident can receive their own permissions without reusing the previous user's credentials.

This is especially useful for companies managing several properties or accommodation with high user turnover.

Access for cleaning and maintenance

Residents aren't the only users who may need to enter a coliving space.

Access may also be needed by:

• Cleaning staff.
• Maintenance staff.
• Property managers.
• Owners.
• Technicians.
• Other authorised users.

A digital system allows different permissions by type of user, avoiding the need to hand out permanent copies of the flat's keys.

Why not just install a smart lock on the front door?

Because a single smart lock only solves part of the problem.

If we install an electronic lock on the flat's front door but keep conventional keys for the four rooms, we still have to manage multiple private keys.

Likewise, if we control the rooms but leave the building entrance out of the system, residents still need a separate method to get into the building.

The main advantage of a complete ecosystem is precisely that each access level has the right device without losing an overall view of the property.

Can everything be opened with a mobile phone?

One aim of this type of installation is to make it easy to use the smartphone as an access credential on compatible devices.

On room doors, the AYR Smart Handle we sell integrated with AYR Integra also keeps the PIN code as an opening method.

This provides flexibility to adapt the system to the type of user and each project's needs.

Do the doors need replacing?

Not necessarily.

One of the attractions of this type of solution is being able to upgrade existing installations using devices designed to fit compatible doors and systems.

However, before preparing a project, it's worth checking things like:

• Type of front door.
• Installed cylinder.
• Thickness of interior doors.
• Room door latches.
• Existing entry phone model.
• Property layout.
• Wi-Fi coverage.
• Distances between devices.

That's why we recommend studying each installation before deciding exactly which devices are needed.

How many devices do I need for my flat?

There's no single configuration that suits every property.

As a general guide:

• 1 AYR Interphone if we want to integrate a compatible building entrance.
• 1 AYR Pass for the flat's front door.
• 1 AYR Smart Handle per room we want to control individually.
• AYR Nex depending on remote connectivity needs and the property layout.

A six-room flat, for example, could require one Pass and six Smart Handles, plus the devices needed for the building entrance and connectivity depending on the project.

What types of accommodation can this system be used for?

Although coliving and room rentals are two of its most interesting applications, this type of access control can also be useful in other properties.

• Student residences.
• Worker accommodation.
• Corporate housing.
• Tourist apartments.
• Small guesthouses.
• B&Bs.
• Offices.
• Remotely managed homes.

Advantages of an access control system for room rentals

• Manage building entrance, flat and rooms as separate access levels.
• Reduce reliance on multiple sets of physical keys.
• Control each room individually.
• Make it easier to onboard new residents.
• Handle departing users better.
• Create different access for residents and authorised staff.
• Use the mobile phone as an access method on compatible devices.
• Use a PIN code on rooms with the Smart Handle.
• Add remote connectivity with AYR Nex.
• Expand the installation as the number of rooms or access points grows.

AYR Integra: a complete solution instead of several separate systems

One of the reasons we chose to work with this solution is the ability to use different specialised devices within the same ecosystem.

AYR is a Spanish company specialising in security and access control solutions, and its Integra ecosystem lets you combine different devices depending on the type of door you need to manage.

For a coliving project, this approach is especially useful: the building entrance doesn't need the same device as the front door, and an interior room doesn't need a lock identical to the flat's.

Each access point uses the device best suited to its function.

Frequently asked questions about access control in coliving

How do you control the doors in a room-rental flat?

One solution is to divide the installation into different levels: building entrance, front door and rooms. Each access point can use a specific device and be managed within the same ecosystem.

Can each tenant access only their own room?

Yes. By installing a separate electronic handle on each room we can manage access to each private room individually.

How can the tenant get in through the building entrance?

When the existing entry phone is compatible, AYR Interphone brings building entrance opening into the access control system.

Which lock is used on the flat's front door?

In this solution we use the AYR Pass to control the flat's main entrance.

What's installed on each room?

An AYR Smart Handle can be installed, providing independent access control by code and mobile phone within the Integra ecosystem.

What does AYR Nex do?

AYR Nex acts as a Wi-Fi–Bluetooth gateway to provide remote connectivity to the ecosystem's compatible devices.

Is it suitable for a student residence?

Yes. The same structure of shared areas and private rooms makes this type of solution especially useful for student residences and similar accommodation.

Is a separate installation needed for each room?

Each room needs its own device if we want to control it independently, but all of them can be part of the same management ecosystem.

Can I use it in an existing flat?

In many cases yes, provided the doors, cylinders, latches, entry phone and other elements are compatible. Before ordering, we recommend checking the characteristics of the existing installation.

How do I know which devices I need?

It depends on the number of rooms, the type of building entrance, the front door, the property layout and the management features you need.

Configure your access control for coliving or room rentals

Not every flat needs exactly the same configuration. A three-room flat will have different needs from an eight-room coliving space or a small residence.

That's why, before choosing devices, it's advisable to analyse how many doors we want to control, which users will access each area and whether we need remote management.

At Todo Para Tu Hotel we've created a dedicated selection of the devices needed to configure this type of installation within the AYR Integra ecosystem.

Browse our access control for coliving and room rentals category and, if you have questions about the configuration, tell us the number of rooms, the type of front door and the access points you want to control so we can help you define the solution.