More and more people are bringing smart products into their homes to make their spaces more secure and their lives more convenient. But just because you aren’t a homeowner, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on smart home tech if you live in an apartment.
Even if you’re renting an apartment, you can still outfit your space with top-tier smart home devices to enjoy greater security and comfort. Here’s how:
Start with a hub
No matter what kind of smart products you end up bringing into your home, you’ll need a smart hub to get started. Think of the smart hub as the brain of your smart home network; it connects all of your smart devices and allows them to wirelessly communicate to each other.
Picking out a hub is no problem for a renter in an apartment, because hubs are portable. (Think of them as kind of like your router in that they can be easily moved from house to house.)
This means that renters aren’t restricted; here are dozens of different smart hubs you can pick from! Some, like the , which easily allows you to build a diverse collection of smart products and control them all with the free Wink app.
For most smart hubs, installation is as simple as plugging the power adapter into an outlet and the ethernet cable into your router, making it a quick and easy installation process that’s noninvasive for renters.
Then, when you do decide to move out of your apartment, you can just pack up your smart hub to install it in your new place!
Look for portable devices
To build a smart home ecosystem that’s suitable for renting or apartment life, look for smart devices that are portable and don’t require a complicated installation.
For example, usually, when renting, affixed items like thermostats are not to be tampered with, so a smart thermostat may not be your best choice. But typically, smart thermostats are well worth the investment.
But there are still plenty of other ways you can make your apartment smart!
Smart lighting, for instance, is a simple, noninvasive way to automate your home. Smart light bulbs, like the , you can bring smart, automated lighting to your rented space.
Try out smart accessories
But portable smart home tech can be more than just light bulbs. To outfit your apartment with today’s top-tier technology, look to smart accessories, like .
Using an Alexa-enabled Echo device brings your smart home ecosystem to the next level, allowing you to control your other smart devices (like those Zipato and Aeotec bulbs!) using voice control.
Simply say, “Alexa, turn on the kitchen lights.”
Pretty smart for an apartment, eh?
Just because you’re not currently a homeowner, doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of smart home technology.
For more ways to introduce smart devices into your apartment and to find more smart hubs, smart lighting, and smart accessories, check out Z-Wave.com, the consumer resource for all things Z-Wave smart home.
