Smart locks for student residences: an access guide

In a 120-bed residence, September starts with more than 240 keys in circulation: each resident's room key and front-door key, plus the sets held by staff, cleaners and maintenance. Over the academic year some get lost, others get copied and a few never come back in June. Every one of them is an entry permission that never expires. How do you manage access to a building whose occupants change every year without relying on a bunch of keys?

In a nutshell: a smart lock turns a key into a permission with a name, a door and dates, granted or revoked from an app without handing over or collecting anything. In a student residence it simplifies September arrivals, lost keys, room changes and closing the building over the summer.

A whole academic year, door by door

In a student residence, key management depends on the calendar more than on the doors: each point in the year brings arrivals, departures and changes. With smart access, each of those moments is handled from the AYR Integra app, with no new cylinders and no copies.

1. September

   September: arrival

   With keys

   Key sets prepared for each room, handover signatures and queues at reception. Anyone arriving on a Sunday or in the early hours depends on someone being there to let them in.

   With smart access

   Each resident receives their access before they arrive, valid for the dates of their contract. They get in on the day they arrive, at whatever time they arrive, with their phone, a code on AYR Keypad or the AYR Key Pro remote.

2. October to May

   During the year: lost keys, room changes and maintenance visits

   With keys

   A resident loses their key on a Saturday night: locksmith, a new cylinder and the question of who else has a copy. A room change means another handover and another return.

   With smart access

   They're given a new code or access on the spot. For a room change, one permission is withdrawn and another created. The maintenance technician and the cleaning company only enter their own areas and time slots.

   Management can see when a door has been opened. That log is for managing the building, not for tracking anyone, and it's worth explaining this in the residence rules.

3. February

   February: mid-year arrivals

   With keys

   Exchange students and one-term stays receive a key that has to be recovered when they leave, sometimes once the resident is already back in their home country.

   With smart access

   Access is created with a start and an end date. When the stay is over, it stops working without anyone having to return anything.

4. June to August

   June and summer: the empty building

   With keys

   Collecting keys room by room, missing sets and entire floors locked up for weeks with nobody checking on them.

   With smart access

   Term-time access expires on its own. The no-fee alarm monitors empty areas and rooms and sends alerts to your phone. If you rent rooms by the week, each guest has access with an end date.

For residents, the change makes life simpler: they come and go on their own schedule, don't depend on reception opening hours and don't have to carry a bunch of keys. For their families, it means only the right people can enter their room.

Which door gets what

Each type of door has a different use and therefore a different solution. Click on each product to view and buy it.

• Main entrance

  Maximum security, many users and remote management.

  AYR Lock ProAYR NexAYR Key Pro

• Rooms

  One access per resident, changing every academic year.

  AYR PassAYR KeypadAYR Key Pro

• Common areas

  Study room, laundry or gym, open to residents.

  AYR PassAYR KeypadAYR Nex

• Offices and storerooms

  Authorised staff only; a no-fee alarm where equipment is kept.

  AYR PassAYR KeepAYR Alarm

The final combination is decided during the technical visit, door by door.

If you're a parent choosing a residence

How a residence handles keys says a lot about how it's run. These questions will help you check during your visit:

How to move from keys to smart access without disrupting the residence

The switch is planned in phases and makes the most of the summer, so the academic year starts with the system up and running:

1. Visit and door mapWe review each door, how it's used and who needs to get in.
2. Phased installationWe start with the main entrance and the busiest areas, during the months when the building is empty.
3. Registering residents and staffEach person receives their access with the dates and doors that apply to them.
4. First year with supportWe answer the team's questions and fine-tune permissions during the first few months.

Frequently asked questions