Smart Technology Benefits Multifamily Housing Owners and Renters

A 2024 survey by the National Multifamily Housing Council found that 87% of renters demand robust connectivity from the properties they live in — and, according to Rent.com, they’re willing to pay $38 more each month to have it. More choices for renters means property owners and managers are challenged to manage rising operating costs while offering the latest and greatest tech to attract and retain residents.

Cox Communities, a division of Cox Communications, has continued its investment in smart technology and is helping to address the needs of property managers and tenants alike. While the latest technology must be added to older MDU properties to help them stay competitive in the housing market, it’s often installed in new builds, which means that Cox’s work also happens, quite literally, at ground level through long-standing relationships with builders like Greystar, which has properties throughout coastal and inland North County including Oceanside, Vista , San Marcos and Carlsbad, among others.

Next-generation smart tech leverages Cox’s fiber-powered network

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers, at its essence, to a network of physical devices — phones, sensors, and cameras, for example — connected to one another and which help owners and residents manage their experience from the curb to the couch.

If you’ve rented a storage unit recently, you’re likely able to open the entrance gate through an app on your phone. In an apartment building or complex, you may use an app to enter a property, garage or elevator. With IoT, nearly everything is at your fingertips.

Cox Communities has partnered with Level M, a provider of next-generation smart tech solutions for multifamily customers, to provide the most cutting-edge technology solutions, which leverage Cox’s fiber-powered network and 26 years of experience in the multifamily space.

Level M partners with Cox to support the multifamily industry with:

• Offering comfort, convenience, and control to residents — A single app lets residents do everything from enter through a main gate or hallway with a secured door, access a particular elevator floor, and enter their apartment. Residents can also control their thermostat and lights, reducing their utility bills.
• Improving efficiency and property management — Gone are the days of a property manager’s ring full of keys or need to be onsite to manage property access. Owners can now control everything via app or desktop and provide access codes to managers and workers as needed.
• Avoiding unexpected expenses for owners — The average water leak can cost an owner as much as $35,000, so it’s important to mitigate leak impact. With Smart Tech Leak Detection, a leak will trigger an app or portal notification through a device placed on water heaters and pipes underneath sinks. In addition, smart thermostats and lighting systems reduce energy consumption and increase cost savings.
• Making move-in a breeze — With Cox’s pre-installed internet program, residents can get connected within minutes of moving in and enjoy fast, reliable internet.

These are just a few examples of the many ways smart apartment technologies impact the growing MDU market, and more change is coming. The evolution and integration of artificial intelligence and virtual reality with existing infrastructure holds endless promise of what’s possible when it comes to supporting the housing industry.

As developers shift to affordable single-family “build-to-rent” communities with the latest technology, Cox is helping owners of existing properties update their technology. Upgrading older properties with the latest smart tech enables them to remain a viable choice for renters and be a positive contributor in growing communities.

San Diego County is growing, and Cox Communities will continue to innovate and provide smart tech solutions that enhance the multifamily home rental experience.

Guillermo Rivas is Vice President of New Business Development for Cox Communities, helping multifamily owners leverage Cox’s advanced fiber to the home network, Managed Wi-Fi and IoT network solutions to improve the resident experience.