Intercom systems play a crucial role in how modern multi-tenant buildings manage visitor access and monitor entrances. Choosing the right solution involves more than comparing feature lists: long-term reliability, scalability, integration, and cost matter just as much. This guide explains how apartment and multi-tenant intercoms are designed and what to consider when evaluating options.
What is a Multi-Tenant Building?
A multi-tenant building is a property that houses multiple independent tenants. These tenants may be residential, commercial, or a combination of both. Multi-tenant buildings are especially common in cities, as they allow space to be maximized in heavily populated areas.
Intercoms are necessary in these buildings: they allow guests to enter, deliveries to be placed in secure locations, and can even integrate with cameras or access control to provide comprehensive security.
How do Multi-Tenant Apartment Intercom Systems Work?
A multi-tenant apartment intercom system is designed around its primary users: visitors at the entrance, residents or tenants receiving calls, and, in some cases, building staff such as a concierge.
Intercom use begins at an entrance station located at a main door. Visitors select a resident from a directory or dial a unit, placing a call into the building. The call can be routed to an in-unit tenant station, a mobile app, or a phone number, depending on how the system is configured.
With video intercoms, residents can view live videos and communicate with visitors using a mobile app or in-unit tenant station with a screen.
In some cities and states, building codes or accessibility requirements may mandate physical in-unit tenant stations rather than mobile-only or telephone-based solutions. These regulations vary by location and should be considered early when planning a multi-tenant intercom system.
What Should You Look for in an Apartment Intercom System?
The right intercom solution should enhance security, resident satisfaction, and operational efficiency for property managers overseeing large or multi-building communities. Below are a few key factors to consider when selecting an intercom system for apartment buildings.
Video and Mobile Access
Video and mobile access are among the most important features to consider in an apartment intercom system: they give residents a convenient way to visually verify visitors and manage access through their mobile devices.
Features such as remote door release and temporary QR code passes allow trusted visitors like friends or family members to enter quickly without relying on the directory. Together, these capabilities improve security, reduce missed connections, and support the modern expectation of flexible, mobile-friendly access.
Cloud Management
Cloud management has become an essential consideration for large or multi-building properties, simplifying installation and day-to-day operations.
With AiphoneCloud, property managers have a fast and intuitive way to onboard new tenants and update information as people move out, and ensure access permissions are revoked instantly.
Integration with Access Control and Security Systems
Many apartment buildings also choose to integrate their intercom system with other aspects of their security systems. These include cameras, video management systems, and access control systems; effectively combining all systems into one.
Aiphone supports integration with every major security solution in the industry from video management solutions to our Access Control. By integrating access control, property managers can do so much more than release doors and allow entry.
Using Aiphone’s AC Nio, you can choose who gets access to which areas, add custom schedules for holidays, permissions based on rank, and instantly grant and revoke keycard or fob access from any location.
Scalability and Flexibility
A large apartment community can be made up of multiple buildings, each with several entry points and hundreds of residents, making it necessary for its intercom system to be able to scale without sacrificing any of its performance. A scalable solution will support a wide range of door stations and answering stations, along with flexible mounting options to fit different building layouts.
For example, an apartment community with a scalable system can have buildings A, B, C, and D connected to one intercom solution which can be monitored and configured by one centralized security system. Each building’s entrance stations will only connect to that building’s answering stations, whether they’re mobile apps, telephone entry, or in-unit tenant stations.
This flexibility allows residents and staff to interact with their intercom system in a way that best fits their needs without adding unnecessary expenses or limiting future expansion.
Multi-Function Protection for Mixed-use Buildings
New developments are frequently designed as mixed-use buildings with retail spaces on the ground floor and residential units above. The Aiphone IX | IXG Series offers the best solution for any space: residential, retail, commercial, or any mixes in between. One system supports multiple entrances, connecting to multiple answering stations or mobile apps, or even emergency services.
The variety of entrance stations can adapt to fit any requirements; whether it’s a large touch screen with a digital directory on the IXG-DM7-HIDA or the simplified camera and single button design of the IX-DV. Your IX | IXG system can be easily managed through AiphoneCloud for an intuitive user experience.
Accessibility & Assisted Living Communities
Every apartment community has different needs. Whether you require T-Coil compatibility, buttons and handsets over touchscreens, or emergency pull cords, Aiphone can meet your requirements.
Reliable emergency communication is essential in all buildings but especially assisted living facilities. Room to room calling, transfers, paging, reliable two-way communication, and group announcements can alert staff to incidents and help them respond faster, keeping residents safer overall while maintaining smooth operations.
Which Intercom System Should I Use in my Apartment Building?
There are many intercoms on the market, but we’ve tailored a few suggestions for different budgets and buildings. Analog and IP intercoms can both support multi-tenant apartments, but they are typically used in different scenarios.
IX | IXG Series for Large Apartment Communities
IP video intercoms like the IX | IXG Series are best for new construction, large communities, or major modernization projects that require mobile access, video verification, and cloud management.
Aiphone’s IX | IXG Series IP video intercom system is designed for enterprise-level apartment communities, multifamily properties, and mixed-use buildings that need scalability, flexibility, and modern access methods.
Key capabilities include:
- Multiple entrance station options for different entry needs, including customizable touchscreen stations with digital directories and keypads
- Multiple tenant stations, including video, audio and handset options
- Video call and door release through the IXG Mobile App
- Emergency stations and wall boxes for stairwells, elevators, and areas of refuge
- Remote system management for onboarding new tenants and updating tenant information
- Integration with cameras, video management systems, access control, and more
GT Series for Retrofit Apartment Projects and Historical Buildings
Choose an analog intercom like the GT Series for retrofit projects or properties that prioritize long-term reliability without a network dependency.
Aiphone’s GT Series is a popular option for those who need a system for a large multi-tenant building but want to stick with the classic analog versus IP.
The GT Series easily retrofits into current infrastructure yet offers similar modern benefits, like:
- Modular entrance panels to fit your needs, including cameras, keypads, directories, and card readers
- Multiple tenant stations, including video, audio and handset options
- Pan-tilt-zoom camera controls on door stations
Security and communication are the primary focus of the GT Series. It scales to meet the needs of your building, whether it’s a new build or existing structure, delivering unmatched reliability and quality to your building without adding extensive costs.
The Best Video Intercom System for Your Apartment
For over 75 years, Aiphone has delivered unparalleled quality and reliability in our intercom systems. Our systems are vandal resistant and rated for extreme temperatures, as well as offering intuitive user experiences. There are no subscription-based fees necessary to keep our products online, and they’ve been proven to last for multiple decades. There’s a reason Aiphone is the most trusted brand in the market.
| Feature | Aiphone IX | IXG Series IP Video Intercom | ButterflyMX | Swiftlane |
| Station Capacity | Infinite | Infinite | Infinite |
| Multiple entrance screens | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Great for mixed-use buildings (IX | IXG offers commercial, single button call stations in its lineup) | Yes | No | No |
| Emergency solutions, including blue light towers and wall boxes | Yes | No | No |
| Single button call stations for internal door control | Yes | No | No |
| Cloud-based management | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Visitor Passes for visitor access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| In-unit room-to-room communication | Yes | No | No |
| Physical guard station | Yes | No | No |
| Physical tenant station | Yes | No | No |
| Mobile tenant app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Elevator controls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Building a Cost-Effective Multi-Tenant Intercom System
When building your intercom system, it’s also incredibly important to understand the overall costs, and how they can affect your installation. Pre-existing wiring, number of units, and labor costs all affect the initial cost; but beyond that it’s also important to consider long-term costs.
Infrastructure
Installation costs vary based on a building’s infrastructure, whether the property is newly constructed or an existing community undergoing upgrades. In renovation or acquisition scenarios, reviewing current wiring conditions early helps determine the most practical approach while minimizing disruption to occupied buildings.
Cost of Ownership
Beyond installation, it is important to consider how costs scale over time. Monthly or annual subscriptions can add up quickly, especially when they’re based per unit.
Durability
Longevity also matters: there’s no use saving money on the initial installation when you’re going to have to reinstall another system in a few years or constantly pay for repairs. It’s best to plan ahead and consider all your needs when designing your system.
Interoperability
An intercom system built on open standards gives you more flexibility over time. It allows the system to work alongside existing technologies and makes it easier to integrate with other vendors as building needs change. This reduces vendor lock-in and helps protect the investment by allowing future upgrades or expansions without requiring a full system replacement.
FAQs
Aiphone IX | IXG Series IP video intercom is the best solution for large apartment communities. With scalable options from 1 to 9,999 stations, the system can grow with your needs or meet the requirements of any size. It enables video calling and door release through mobile apps, integrates with cameras and access control systems, and is built with high-quality hardware designed for long-term performance.
Analog apartment intercoms are typically selected to efficiently upgrade buildings with existing wiring, while IP intercoms are chosen to support more advanced functionality and flexibility in new construction projects. The right option depends on a building’s infrastructure, scale, and future plans.
The GT Series is a practical option to replace legacy analog intercom systems in multi-tenant buildings, especially where reusing wiring or existing infrastructure is important. But if you are considering modernizing your properties to include mobile access and cloud management, choose Aiphone’s IX | IXG Series IP video intercoms.
Yes. Intercoms in your apartment buildings should continue to work even if ownership or management changes. Unlike other intercom systems, Aiphone’s solutions are not dependent on monthly subscriptions. Administrative control can be transferred without replacing hardware or renegotiating service contracts.