The Best in Smart Home Hubs Technology

Smart Hubs for Apartments & Multifamily

Tie your whole smart apartment system together with one hub. Hubs integrate multiple devices so you, your site teams, and your residents can create automations and control them all in one place.

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SmartRent's Hub+ in use in a resident's home

The simple way to tie all your smart devices together

Centralized device management

Connect all your smart apartment devices (like thermostats, smart locks, and sensors) to a single hub—and control them from a single platform.

Remote access and control

Give residents direct control over their devices from the SmartRent app so they can make adjustments anywhere, anytime.

Automation and scheduling

Allow residents to create routines—like locking doors and turning down the temperature at bedtime—for all your Z-wave devices.

Alloy SmartHome hub options offered by SmartRent

How to choose a smart home hub

The best smart home hubs coordinate actions between all your devices. Some also provide a user-friendly interface that gives residents individual control and allows staff to manage all devices at once.

Built for multifamily

Management, software, and support

Choose a hub that’s built specifically for multifamily—like SmartRent’s. Hubs with voice-control features—like Google Nest, Amazon Echo, and Apple HomePod—are excellent for individual homes, but they aren’t built for multifamily communities. That’s because they don’t allow you to manage them collectively or come with the level of support your teams and residents need.

Technology type

Z-Wave protocol

Smart devices use a variety of technology types—like WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Matter, and Thread. But we’ve found that Z-Wave is best suited to multifamily applications because of its low energy consumption, high security, and wide-ranging compatibility. Z-wave is also better at traveling through walls and other obstructions, so it stays connected better.

Design

Complementary feel and function

Appealing aesthetics help attract prospective residents, so make sure the hubs you choose look great. It also helps if you keep visible devices to a minimum, so look for combination hubs that also serve as thermostats. That will keep walls clutter-free and clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

A smart home hub helps you control a variety of smart home devices—like smart locks, thermostats, sensors, and lighting—all in one place and with a single smartphone app. It’s kind of like an air traffic controller that ensures all your smart home devices work together.

While not all smart apartment systems require a hub to function, we’ve invested in building our solutions around the SmartRent hub because it delivers more flexibility and functionality than hubless systems. Although purchasing hubs for each unit might mean spending more upfront, the savings in labor costs and the revenue boost from greater resident satisfaction are worth it in the long run.

The SmartRent hub:

Connects with smart home devices that use Zigby, Z-wave, and other protocols, so you can build automations and scenes—like turning out the lights or locking up at the end of the day.
Controls devices using the SmartRent app. And since the SmartRent app also allows residents to receive community announcements, maintenance updates, and other communications, you can provide them a much better living experience.
Integrates with more devices, PMS’s, and other proptech than any other brand. Your residents can add their own smart devices to your system, and you can maximize your existing hardware and software investments.
Provides real-time battery monitoring and event logs so you can keep an eye on things remotely.

Hubless IoT alternatives:

May have a lower upfront cost because you don’t have to purchase a hub.
Require more than one app to control multiple devices.
Limit your options for automations because devices often can’t communicate with each other.
Lack visibility into real-time device status and remote capabilities

SmartRent hubs connect to the web in two ways, creating a redundancy that means minimal connectivity issues.

A WiFi chip connects the hub to the property's managed WiFi network for added consistency, especially for properties that struggle with cellular data signal strength.
Cellular connects to nearby cellular towers at no additional cost. The cellular connection can also serve as a backup if WiFi is down.

The main difference between the Alloy SmartHome Hub and the Alloy Fusion is that the Fusion hub comes with a touchscreen so you can control devices right from the hub. The SmartHome Hub doesn't have a touchscreen, but you can control devices manually or from the SmartRent app.

The new Alloy SmartHome Hub+ combines a smart hub and thermostat into a single piece of hardware, simplifying automation and delivering more efficient operations.

This device provides a seamless and secure home automation connection so site teams and residents can remotely control z-wave enabled smart devices from a single app.

This next-gen smart home device combines a Z-Wave hub and a smart thermostat compatible with most HVAC systems.

Alloy SmartHome

Hardware designed for smart communities

Our in-house smart home equipment does it all. Build the perfect smart apartments with Alloy hubs, thermostats, and sensors. Fully integrate them with the proptech you already use, and control everything with a single app.

Solutions powered by Alloy

Access Control

Access control panels, readers and sensors optimize all facets of guest and visitor entry, from common areas to apartment homes.

Smart Apartments

Smart locks, hubs, thermostats and leak sensors make it easy for owners to manage their communities while decreasing costs.

Parking Management

Smart sensors paired with our software database help manage space alignment, streamline enforcement, and monetize guest or premium spaces.

Self-Guided Tours

Strategically placed smart devices give prospects the freedom to tour a property when it’s convenient for them, effectively expanding leasing hours.

Integrations

SmartRent has more seamless integrations than any other multifamily technology brand. That means more convenience and features, whether you’re building smart communities from the ground up or retrofitting older technology.