Smart Apartments: How to Create a Smart Home for Renters

  AUTHOR: Carlos Paras
 UPDATED: January 30, 2024

The evolution of smart home technology has allowed homeowners to customize their homes to their heart’s content. While those who choose to rent instead of own aren’t always as lucky.

From being able to run wires through the walls of a room, to installing smart devices wherever they please, there are many advantages that homeowners have over renters when it comes to building a home automation and security system.

In the United States, it seems that home ownership is starting to become less popular. More and more individuals are choosing to rent instead of own, with the fastest growing group of renters being millenials and baby boomers.

The trend isn’t surprising if you consider that a little over a decade after the worldwide housing crisis, many are still hesitant to take on the financial commitment and responsibility associated with home ownership.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Every person has their own preference when it comes to choosing to rent or own their home, but it does present an issue when it comes to the adoption of smart home technology.

It can be difficult for those who are new to this technology to know what factors to consider when choosing home automation and security products. It’s even more difficult for renters to determine which devices work for their living situation.

In this article, we’ll discuss what renters need to look for when building a home automation system. In addition, I’ll suggest some of the best smart home devices for renters to get started with.

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How to Choose Smart Home Devices for Renters

The plight of renters isn’t typically addressed throughout the smart home industry. Even the name of this type of technology - Smart Home - suggests that users must be homeowners to take advantage of this consumer-friendly off-shoot of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Renters understand that you can’t just wire up a doorbell camera or a smart thermostat without taking the risk of violating the rental agreement. Even if one were to get the installation of such a device approved by a landlord, it would be a waste of time and money to install a product, then leave it behind after the lease is up.

Furthermore, devices like smart refrigerators or smart light switches just don’t make sense in the context of renting an apartment.

Thankfully, there are smart devices available that work well for those renting an apartment or a house. There are a few factors which must be considered before purchasing equipment.

When shopping for smart home devices, choose those that are tailored to your budget and lifestyle as opposed to products which seem to be the most interesting or the most innovative. The urge to create an apartment-wide smart home entertainment system may be tempting, but installing extensive systems can turn into a huge hassle when it comes time to move.

We all know how much of a pain moving can be for renters, especially if you find yourself living in a short-term leased apartment or a campus dorm. So, choose devices that don’t need elaborate or permanent installation.

Portability is also important to think about when choosing smart home devices. With how popular smart home technology has become over the past few years, it is now easier than ever to find an apartment-friendly smart home starter kit that can fit into a duffle bag or backpack.

This is a huge plus for renters. Moving becomes far less frustrating when you don’t have to pack and lug around a ton of bulky tech.

Now, with these considerations in mind, let’s take a look at which smart home devices work best while living in a rented space.

Which Smart Home Devices Are the Best for Renters?

It can be challenging to navigate through all the brands and functionalities of smart home devices on the market today. To make things easier, I’ve listed a few of the devices that meet the criteria discussed above and offer tremendous value to users.

Smart Speakers

These pint-sized devices have grown in popularity and it’s easy to see why. With voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, these speakers allow users to control their smart devices with simple voice commands.

When it comes to creating a practical and functional home automation system, leveraging the existing functionalities included in smart speakers like Amazon’s Echo Dot (link to Amazon) or the Google Nest Mini can help to greatly simplify the setup process.

Smart speakers not only allow you to get traffic and weather updates, listen to your favorite music, and make phone calls, they can also be used as hubs for an entire home automation system.

This is by far the easiest way to interact with your smart home. It’s much easier to control a device using voice commands, than having to open up and swipe through an app on a smartphone.

Smart Light Bulbs

Smart light bulbs are a simple and affordable addition to any home automation system. They can connect to a smart phone through a Wi-fi connection and can be controlled through an app or with a smart assistant. Installation is as easy as “screwing in a light bulb”.

Once the smart light bulbs are connected to your Wi-fi system and to the app on your phone, you’ll be able to remotely control them from any room in your apartment. You can even control them while you’re miles away from home.

Philips Hue Smart Light Bulbs (link to Amazon) are by far the most popular. But be sure to check out other offerings from Cree, TP-Link, and Kasa Smart (link to Amazon).

Smart Plugs

Smart plugs are another affordable way to smarten up your apartment without having to go to great lengths to change things. These easy to use devices can make almost any home appliance smart home worthy.

Smart plugs can turn almost any conventional appliance into a smart one. Simply plug the smart plug into any outlet, plug an appliance or device into the smart plug, then connect the smart plug to your internet connection.

From here, you will have the power to control the smart plug through a voice assistant or smartphone app, and in turn, you can control the power to any appliance plugged into the smart plug.

The Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini (link to Amazon) is small, compact, and barely noticeable when plugged into an outlet. It works with Amazon’s Alexa and Google assistant and its app works with iOS and Android operating systems.

Security Cameras

There are some great offerings for renters in security cameras which offer portability and ease of installation. Indoor security cameras can connect to Wi-Fi allowing you to keep an eye on your personal belongings even when you’re away from home.

The Wyze Cam (link to Amazon) offers 1080p HD quality video and can send alerts to your smartphone when it detects motion or sound. It even has a built-in microphone and speaker so you can listen in or talk to anyone who’s on camera (even your pets).

Smart Doorbell Cameras

The options for doorbell cameras are a bit limited for renters. Many doorbell cameras require custom wiring or modifications that are typically not allowed under the terms of most lease agreements.

With that being said, the Ring Video Doorbell (link to Amazon) is my pick for the most renter-friendly smart doorbell camera. It can be powered by its built-in battery pack, so it can be installed just about anywhere. Or, you can hardwire it to existing doorbell wires for constant power.

With a wide-angle, full HD camera and a two-way intercom system, this doorbell camera offers many attractive features for an affordable price.

Smart Door Locks

Investing in a smart door lock is a great way to ensure privacy and security for a rented home. Smart door locks allow you to unlock and lock your door with your smartphone. Most smart door locks are compatible with a smart assistant like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri.

More importantly, smart door locks can tell you if your door is unlocked or open while you are away from home, which can go a long way towards preventing intruders from entering your space.

The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (link to Amazon) is an excellent choice for renters. It’s compatible with a wide range of standard door locks so there is no need for major modification to the door.

It easily attaches to your existing deadbolt on the inside of your door - so you can continue to use your existing keys. This not only makes installation simple and easy, but it will keep your landlord extremely happy.

Once installed, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock seamlessly connects to your smartphone or smart assistant via Wi-Fi. You can grant keyless access to family or friends regardless of where you may be at the time.

How to Get Started with a Smart Apartment

When it comes to setting up your very own smart apartment, a great place to start is with a smart speaker like the Amazon Echo Dot (link to Amazon) or the Google Nest Mini. Smart speakers are very affordable, don’t take up a lot of space, and can get you acclimated to using commands to accomplish tasks.

With a smart speaker alone you can get news updates, stream your favorite songs, create to do lists, set timers and alarms, and you can even use the smart speaker as an intercom if you connect more than one throughout your living space.

Once you have your smart speaker of choice, the next step would be to branch out into smart plugs, like the Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini (link to Amazon), and smart light bulbs, like the Philips Hue Smart Light Bulbs (link to Amazon). Make sure the smart devices you purchase are compatible with the smart assistant you’ve chosen in your smart speaker.

From there, it’s really up to you as far as what other devices you choose to add to your newly created home automation system. At the end of the day, creating a smart apartment is all about catering to your own personal takes and preferences.

Just be sure to keep the tips I provided in mind when shopping for additional smart devices for your rental.

One last bit of advice. Make the most out of the smart devices you do choose to purchase. There are many functionalities within each device which some users tend to miss or neglect to use.

Speaking of functionalities, I also suggest looking into IFTTT (If This, Then That). This unique service helps users connect smart home devices, apps, social media, and web services to create sequences of events that automate tasks.

For example, you can trigger your living room light to turn on based on your GPS location and proximity to your home. Or, have your indoor security camera snap a picture when a motion detector senses movement in the living room.

There are a countless number of sequences and patterns you can create using the power of IFTTT. And what’s even better, IFTTT is free to use.

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