A body corporate committee on the Sunshine Coast recently discovered their access system had been letting the same fob work for a resident who moved out eight months earlier. Nobody deactivated it. That’s the kind of gap that access control is supposed to close, not create.
Access control systems QLD buildings rely on aren’t just about locking doors. Done properly, they control who goes where, log every entry, and let you deactivate lost or stolen fobs in seconds instead of rekeying the whole building.
Where Body Corporates Get It Wrong
Most access issues in strata and multi-tenant buildings come down to three things: shared fobs that make individual tracking useless, no process for removing access when someone moves out or a lease ends, and systems that were installed years ago and never updated to talk to the building’s intercom or CCTV.
A fob that isn’t tied to one person defeats the purpose of the system. If three units share one fob “to save money,” you’ve got no record of who actually entered the building at 2am.
What a Properly Designed System Looks Like
Each resident or tenant gets their own credential, whether that’s a fob, keypad code, or app-based access. Entry logs are kept and reviewable by the committee or building manager. The system integrates with intercoms, so visitors can be buzzed in without a resident needing to walk down to the lobby, and with CCTV, so any door event has matching footage.
For commercial buildings and industrial sites, this extends further: restricted zones for staff-only areas, time-based access (a cleaning contractor’s fob only works between 6pm and 9pm), and instant lockout if a card is reported lost.
Getting It Installed Without Disrupting the Building
The biggest concern committees raise is disruption. A well-planned access control install doesn’t mean weeks of residents locked out of their own building. We map the building, schedule work around when common areas see the least traffic, and test every door before residents are asked to use the new system.
FAQ
Do body corporates need council approval for access control upgrades? Usually it depends on whether the work affects fire egress or common property structure. We can advise what’s needed for your specific building during the site assessment.
Can old fob systems be upgraded without replacing everything? Often yes. Many access control panels can be integrated with new readers and management software without a full rip-and-replace, which keeps costs down for committees working within a budget.
How long does an access control install take for a mid-size apartment building? Most buildings under 40 units are completed within 2-4 days, depending on the number of entry points and whether integration with existing intercom or CCTV is required.
Ready to fix a fob system nobody trusts anymore? Book a site assessment and we’ll show you what’s actually possible for your building.
Recent Comments