Over half of the student tenants living in HOAS housing are already enjoying the benefits of iLOQ digital access management solutions. HOAS believes that the solution makes for an improved customer experience, but also sees the potential for great savings through a reduction in costs related to administration, maintenance and dealing with lost and unreturned keys.

Giving bright young minds
the keys to better living

CASE: HOAS – The Foundation for Student Housing in Helsinki

Digital access management for student housing

In early 2015, iLOQ and HOAS, The Foundation for Student Housing in Helsinki, Finland announced their extensive co-operation agreement that has allowed iLOQ solutions to be implemented across more than half of the foundation’s real estate portfolio thus far. This percentage of coverage can be expected to grow further. With more than 18 000 tenants spread across Helsinki and the surrounding metropolitan area (including Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen), HOAS set out to simplify and streamline the process of managing access, and the vast number of keys involved, to their numerous properties.

The iLOQ digital access management solution has been implemented into all new buildings completed since 2015, and mechanical locks are being replaced in older buildings as the existing locking solutions begin nearing the end of their scheduled life cycle. “We feel that the iLOQ solution is an investment into the future, which is why we have even accelerated the pace of replacements in older properties,” explains Kim Lindholm, Real Estate and Facility Director at HOAS.

An investment into the future

Kim Lindholm also emphasizes that the benefits of the iLOQ solution are just now starting to make an impact on HOAS processes as the solution has been implemented into over 50% of all of the foundation’s properties. “Overall, working with iLOQ has been easy and flexible. The solution has been steadily developed over time, and I’m sure both sides have learnt a lot. We have not encountered any major issues, and we look forward to further utilizing the possibilities iLOQ’s digital access management offers, now that we are reaching a higher coverage with the solution.” For an organization like HOAS, our digital access management solution can deliver significant savings in terms of time and effort, and subsequently money.

When you sign approximately 10 000 new rental agreements each year, including new tenants and tenants moving from one HOAS apartment to another, this type of solution can really have a relieving impact on administrative and maintenance work, especially during the peak seasons when new semesters are starting for most students. “In the future our new tenants will be able to sign their rental agreements online without having to line up at our offices. The iLOQ solution already supports this future plan. We can program the keys to start working at a specific time on the day that the agreement states and send the keys to the new tenant already ahead of time. No more on-the-day pickup of keys required either,” Kim Lindholm explains.

We feel that the iLOQ solution is an investment into the future, which is why we have even accelerated the pace of replacements in older properties.

A better service for tenants

But it’s not just HOAS that benefits from the solution. There are clear upsides involved for the tenants living in student housing. Matti Tarhio, Managing Director of HOAS explained these mutual benefits. “If a student loses his or her key, it can be deactivated and replaced very quickly and at a fraction of the cost of replacing a mechanical locking system. And thanks to the possibility of rapid digital deactivation, losing one’s key no longer poses the same kind of security risk. These clear benefits to the tenants also mean easier management of keys in circulation and improved security for HOAS.”

At the same time HOAS can manage tenants’ access to other building facilities on an individual basis, giving access to communal leisure spaces, laundry rooms, bike storage, car parks and the all-important sauna facilities. All the necessary access rights can be coded into the same key that opens the door to the tenant’s apartment. It’s a matter of ease and convenience, but also security and traceability. In individual cases the key log data can even be used to identify misconduct or misuse of facilities. Improved safety and security has been an important factor from the very beginning. “If security and responsible and sustainable practices would not have been of the highest standard, we wouldn’t be working with iLOQ,” Kim Lindholm sums up. “iLOQ has so far fulfilled all the expectations we have placed on them.”

Moving forward with iLOQ

HOAS has had a good experience working in co-operation with iLOQ over the past three or so years, and they are currently installing our digital access management solutions into all of their new builds. Over the coming years they will also continue to replace old mechanical locking systems in existing real estate. Real-time information and digital management of keys in circulation will inevitably make life easier for both building management and tenants. Over the solution life cycle economic benefits will comprise of a great reduction in time spent on administration and maintenance as well as the saving on the costs incurred by lost or unreturned keys. Intelligent digital access management solutions are just one way to create smarter homes for smart young people.