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My New Apartment's Most Aggravating Feature

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Re: My New Apartment's Most Aggravating Feature

#21

Post by FireBeyond »

mikestew wrote: post #10

Sounds like Latch is just garbage. Our August locks consist of me talking to the watch (or phone, if that's your thing): "hey dingus, unlock the front door". I can do that after a run when I'm still 50 feet away, or whenever is convenient for me to do so. Of course, leaving the house is just the opposite, me shouting at HomePod on the way out the door: "hey dingus, lock the front door". And before I'm out the front g…

I bailed on my Level lock after the second occasion where it was chewing through batteries at a fantastic rate on my new home and I got locked out due to battery failure - with no notification on the app. (I ended up installing a Knox Box type device the second time).

I ended up going with the Schlage Encode Plus. Works as a dumb NFC, accepts keycards, full HomeKit, Apple Watch, etc., physical key, and keypad.

Re: My New Apartment's Most Aggravating Feature

#22

Post by lozenge »

jbburt wrote: post #5

my apartment building in Boston (part of AvalonBay Communities) installed Latch last year, and I can't agree more with this article. sure, one 7 digit code isn't difficult to memorize, and I obviously memorized the code for the door to my unit. but in my building alone, there's one door to the main lobby; a first-floor main entrance; another first-floor entryway that requires opening two distinct doors sequentially;…

If every door has NFC why don't they just make physical cards like employee access cards or hotel key cards? They can still be logged, revoked, etc, the only "feature" lost is the Face ID/mobile phone passcode.

Re: My New Apartment's Most Aggravating Feature

#23

Post by msmenardi »

The purpose of smart locks such as these is never convenience. It's not even to make money.

The purpose is to deprive you of the resource they control should you say something they disagree with.

In fact, this applies to all smart devices, and IoT gadgets - to spy on you, and to control you if you step out of line.

"Oh I'm sorry your dishwasher won't start, should have thought of how much you valued having clean dishes before you started speaking out against the regime"

Obviously, that doesn't happen right now. But if the infrastructure is in place, all it'd take is a software patch and suddenly we get a dystopia that nobody could see coming and everyone reached for with arms outstretched.

Re: My New Apartment's Most Aggravating Feature

#25

Post by devsda »

dataflow wrote: post #14

This is just nuts, what happens if your phone is out of battery? You're supposed to stay out for minutes or hours at potentially past midnight before you can go into your own home?

Unless there are power outlets in your apartment complex and there's right power adapter available how are you even supposed to charge your phone in this situation?

We need to go to a place where it's possible to charge and while the device charges we can quitely contemplate on all the life choices that led to this situation.

Re: My New Apartment's Most Aggravating Feature

#26

Post by c22 »

NoZebra120vClip wrote: post #16
RetroTechie wrote: post #7

This just sounds unreasonable. How about: 1) Hire locksmith. 2) Have them replace app-supported lock with regular metal key one. 3) Profit (in time & annoyance saved). 4) While you're living there , if landlord threathens legal proceedings: hire lawyer & "see you in court". 5) When you leave: hire locksmith to revert lock to app-supported one. If landlord requests so. Sure there's ownership. But for all intents & pur…

> But for all intents & purposes, while paying rent you are owner of said apartment, right? Wrong. You don't own that place, the owner owns it. And they have the right of entry in emergency situations, or typically with 48 hours notice. They will bill/sue/evict you for tampering with the entry locks, for sure.

The notice is so you can make a plan to let them in.

Re: My New Apartment's Most Aggravating Feature

#27

Post by NoZebra120vClip »

c22 wrote: post #26
NoZebra120vClip wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But for all intents & purposes, while paying rent you are owner of said apartment, right? Wrong. You don't own that place, the owner owns it. And they have the right of entry in emergency situations, or typically with 48 hours notice. They will bill/sue/evict you for tampering with the entry locks, for sure.

The notice is so you can make a plan to let them in.

I don't know about you, but my landlord keeps a cabinet of keys for every unit on the property. When they come to make even a routine maintenance call, they have already obtained my permission to enter, and if I don't answer the door, then they key right in.

Check your lease; YMMV; most people aren't actually allowed to tamper with their door locks. Shocker, I know, right? When the Constable comes to evict you, your landlord/owner's going to have the keys to let him in.

Re: My New Apartment's Most Aggravating Feature

#29

Post by hooverd »

NoZebra120vClip wrote: post #27
c22 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The notice is so you can make a plan to let them in.

I don't know about you, but my landlord keeps a cabinet of keys for every unit on the property. When they come to make even a routine maintenance call, they have already obtained my permission to enter, and if I don't answer the door, then they key right in. Check your lease; YMMV; most people aren't actually allowed to tamper with their door locks. Shocker, I know, right? When the Constable comes to evict you, your…

Whatever the penalties are for a landlord abusing that, they probably aren't severe enough.

Re: My New Apartment's Most Aggravating Feature

#30

Post by notzane »

mikestew wrote: post #10

Sounds like Latch is just garbage. Our August locks consist of me talking to the watch (or phone, if that's your thing): "hey dingus, unlock the front door". I can do that after a run when I'm still 50 feet away, or whenever is convenient for me to do so. Of course, leaving the house is just the opposite, me shouting at HomePod on the way out the door: "hey dingus, lock the front door". And before I'm out the front g…

A few nights ago, I spent 30 minutes standing outside of a rental because the August app wouldn’t connect to my AirBnB account. Eventually the host woke up and sent a backup code for the keypad (with the help of phone support—do they have a pager system?).

(If anyone from August is reading please help, it’s error log ID e720cfee2a9e90e5)

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