Multifamily intercom, access control and cameras, Kent WA and the South Sound
Security and access for buildings
of four to forty units.
A video intercom with a tenant directory and credentials that end the day a tenant moves out. Cameras on the entries and the package room, an alarm on the mechanical rooms, and a network built to carry it all. One package, one contractor, and a monthly plan that keeps it administered. For small apartment buildings, mixed-use, ADUs and small HOAs in south King County and Pierce County.
Rivas Technology Group installs one security and access package for buildings of four to forty units in Kent, Tacoma, Renton, Federal Way and the South Sound. It includes an Akuvox video intercom with a tenant directory, per-tenant credentials, cameras on the entries, Ajax intrusion on the mechanical rooms, a managed network, and remote administration under a monthly CURATOR plan.
- Fits
- 4 to 40 units: apartments, mixed-use, townhome rows, ADU lots and small HOAs
- Intercom
- Akuvox R29, X915 or X916 door phone with a tenant directory; face, card, NFC, Bluetooth, PIN and QR entry
- Credentials
- Issued and revoked per tenant from the SmartPlus property manager portal
- Cameras
- Entries, package room, parking and corridors, on the video platform Rivas Technology Group built and operates
- Alarm
- Ajax intrusion on mechanical, electrical and storage rooms, monitored month to month through Becklar, a UL-listed central station
- Administration
- Remote credential changes and system health under a CURATOR plan; larger portfolios quoted
- License
- WA electrical contractor RIVASGL799DR, bonded and insured; Akuvox certified intercom installer
Who this is for
The owner or manager of a building the big security companies do not want and the locksmith cannot finish. A twelve-unit walk-up in Kent. A mixed-use building on Pacific Avenue in Tacoma with retail below and apartments above. A row of townhomes in Renton with one gate, a lot with a house and two ADUs, or an HOA with a lobby and a package room. Four to forty units is the range where one package, one contractor and one monthly plan do the job. They replace a callbox nobody can update, a camera nobody can review and a ring of keys nobody can account for.
What is in the package
| Layer | What we install |
|---|---|
| Entry intercom | Akuvox R29, X915 or X916 door phone with a tenant directory, face, card, NFC, Bluetooth, PIN and QR entry |
| Credentials | Per-tenant fobs, PINs, QR passes and app keys, issued and revoked in the SmartPlus property manager portal |
| Doors | Electric strikes or maglocks on common doors, gate operator inputs, package room and amenity doors on schedules |
| Cameras | Entries from both sides, package room, parking, corridors, on the video platform Rivas Technology Group built and operates |
| Intrusion | Ajax detectors on mechanical, electrical, storage and roof-access doors, monitored month to month |
| Network | A wired router, a PoE switch and access points where the building needs them, with the security devices on their own segment |
| Administration | A CURATOR plan for credential changes, health monitoring, firmware and a named contact |
The intercom and the credentials
The Akuvox R-series is the multi-tenant line. The R29 is an Android door phone with a 7-inch screen and card, NFC, Bluetooth and QR entry1. The X915 and X916 add face recognition and larger directories. Behind it, the SmartPlus property manager portal holds the building, the apartments, the resident accounts and each tenant's credentials. Where there is an elevator, it also holds the floors each credential may reach2. A courier gets a QR pass that expires. A departed tenant's fob stops working the afternoon they leave. Rivas Technology Group is an Akuvox certified intercom installer; the door phones and the residential versions are on the Akuvox page.
Cameras and the alarm
Cameras go where the incidents happen: every entry recorded from both sides, the package room, the parking area and the main corridor. A building with more than four cameras runs on the video platform Rivas Technology Group built and operates. Recording is event-based by default, continuous where the manager wants it, and reviewed from a phone. Camera audio is off by default. The alarm covers the rooms tenants never enter: mechanical, electrical, storage and roof access, on Ajax detectors with photo verification, monitored month to month through Becklar, a UL-listed central station. The Ajax Hub 2 Plus keeps Ethernet, Wi-Fi and two cellular SIMs live, so a router outage in the utility closet does not take the alarm with it. The commercial platform is on the business security page.
The network underneath
Every intercom, camera, lock controller and access point rides on the building's network, and most small buildings do not have one worth the name. We install a wired router, a PoE switch sized for the cameras and the door phones, and access points for the common areas. The security devices sit on their own segment. Where the building offers tenant Wi-Fi, that runs on a separate segment with its own rules. The design is on the business Wi-Fi page, and the cabling on commercial infrastructure. Units that want in-unit control get a Brilliant panel by the door, which the manager can reset from a phone.
Move-ins, move-outs and the audit log
The manager's job after install is small. A new tenant is added in the portal with a fob, a PIN, an app key or all three. A departed tenant is removed. A contractor gets a code for the week of the job. The log answers who opened which door and when, which settles the argument about the propped stairwell door. Under a CURATOR plan we make those changes for the manager on request, watch the system's health, keep firmware current and document the building. The next manager inherits a system instead of a mystery.
What it costs
The proposal is itemized per door and per camera. Five things move it: the number of common doors, the door hardware already in place, the camera count, the cable paths through an occupied building, and the network. An electric strike already in the lobby door is the cheapest case. A maglock needs its own power supply, and a gate needs a relay and a UPS at the gate. The monthly CURATOR plan is quoted alongside the install, with the single-site tiers published on the CURATOR page. There is no design fee on standard scopes.
Where we install it
Kent, Renton, Tukwila, Federal Way, Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley, Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Bonney Lake, University Place and Gig Harbor, from 415 Railroad Ave S in Kent. Bellevue, Mercer Island and Seattle buildings are covered on their own pages with the travel terms stated. Rivas Technology Group holds WA electrical contractor license RIVASGL799DR, active, bonded and insured3, and is an Ajax Systems dealer and an Akuvox certified intercom installer. The rest of the commercial catalog is on the commercial hub.
Questions we hear
What is the best access control system for a small apartment building?
One a property manager runs from a phone. For four to forty units that is an Akuvox video intercom with a tenant directory, per-tenant credentials from the SmartPlus portal, and strikes or maglocks on the common doors. Tenants use a fob, a PIN, a QR pass or the app. A departed tenant's credentials end the day they leave.
Can tenants use their phones instead of fobs?
Yes. The Akuvox SmartPlus app answers the door from anywhere, opens it, and issues time-limited PIN and QR keys to visitors and couriers. Fobs and cards stay available for tenants who want them, and both kinds of credential live in the same portal.
What happens when a tenant moves out?
The manager revokes that tenant's credentials in the portal and issues new ones to the next resident. No rekeying, no lost-fob amnesty, and an audit log that shows who opened which door and when. Unit locks, where the building has them, are handled the same way.
How many cameras does a 4 to 40 unit building need?
Usually four to twelve. Every entry from both sides, the package room, the parking area and the main corridor or stairwell landing come first; laundry, bike storage and the trash enclosure follow. More than four cameras run on the video platform Rivas Technology Group built and operates, with event-based recording by default and continuous recording where a manager wants it.
Do you monitor the building?
The alarm on the mechanical, electrical, storage and roof-access doors is monitored month to month through Becklar, a UL-listed central station. Cameras are reviewed by the manager or by us under a CURATOR plan. Camera audio is off by default.
Is there a monthly service?
Yes. A CURATOR plan covers remote credential changes, system health monitoring, firmware and a documented contact for the building. Plans are published on the CURATOR page for a single site with up to 40 managed devices; portfolios and larger buildings are quoted.
Can the same package cover an ADU or a small HOA?
Yes. A lot with a house and a detached ADU gets its own intercom, credentials and camera on the same system, covered on the ADU page. A small HOA gets the gate or lobby intercom, the mail and package room and the shared amenity doors, with each home issued its own credentials.
How much does multifamily access control cost?
It depends on the number of doors, the door hardware already in place, the camera count, cable paths and whether the building has a usable network. A walk-through produces a proposal itemized per door and per camera, and the monthly plan is quoted alongside it. There is no design fee on standard scopes.
Start with a building walk-through.
Tell us the address, the unit count, the number of common doors and whether there is a gate. We walk the building with you or your manager, then send a proposal itemized per door and per camera. We call or text back within one business day.