SmartRent, a leader in IoT-enabled solutions, has redefined the multifamily property (MDU) landscape, largely leveraging Z-Wave® technology to enhance operational efficiency, resident experience, and asset protection. From automating move-ins to deploying advanced leak sensors, SmartRent’s strategic use of Z-Wave has positioned the company as a trailblazer in the growing smart MDU industry.

The Challenge: The Need for a Scalable, Interoperable, and Reliable Platform

When SmartRent entered the market in 2017, smart home technology in MDUs was viewed as a luxury rather than a standard amenity. The challenge was to deliver a platform that addressed:

  • Operational Complexity: Eliminating inefficiencies like physical key management and manual device integration.
  • Resident Experience: Providing seamless onboarding and control of devices for tenants.
  • Enterprise Needs: Ensuring reliability and scalability for large-scale deployments.

SmartRentʼs Three-Prong Approach to Developing & Implementing Their Z-Wave Ecosystem

Custom Hardware Development

SmartRent’s unique needs for reliable enterprise-grade solutions led them to develop their own hardware for key categories they wanted as part of their platform including leak sensors, hubs, light bulbs, intercoms, and locks.

  • SmartRent’s Hub Series: These devices serve as the central node for each unit in a property.
  • Alloy™ SmartHome Hub: Combines Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular connectivity. This innovative product was built with Z-Wave and is one of the few on the market that integrates a thermostat with a smart hub, streamlining the number of devices to install and maintain.
  • Alloy Fusion™: SmartRent’s newest Hub, the Alloy SmartHome Fusion, features a customizable interface and a flexible design that allows for the introduction of new features over time. As with other hubs, the Alloy Fusion consolidates the control of smart home solutions, and also includes a built-in thermostat like Alloy SmartHome Hub+.
  • Alloy SmartHome Leak Sensor+: Leaks can be the cause of severe damage for any property owner, and in the MDU space it is all the more important to monitor quickly for any type of unwanted water. Designed for enterprise reliability to address key areas like under sinks and dishwashers, near toilets, water heaters and HVAC units, this sensor was built using Z-Wave Long Range so distance and location is a non-issue.
  • Alloy Deadbolt: The first in SmartRent’s series of in-house smart locks, the smart deadbolt connects via Z-Wave and is one of the most cost-effective options on the market for rental housing operators.
  • Alloy Deadbolt+: SmartRent’s newest in-house smart lock, featuring Apple Wallet integration, expands on the security, functionality and convenience of smart locks design for the rental housing industry.
  • Ongoing hardware creation: SmartRent continues to build and deploy hardware that supports its enterprise platform, adding new hardware products on a regular basis.

Installation Excellence

As any manufacturer in the smart home space can attest, having a great product is only a single piece of the overall puzzle, ensuring that products are installed correctly and monitored and managed efficiently is the golden ticket to the best user experience and creating customer loyalty.
The Alloy Install App guides contractors through standardized workflows, with features like photo documentation and testing prompts which ensure standardization and reliability, with installation photos collected for quality tracking. SmartRent clients can choose their own path:

  • Managed Installation: Most installations are done by SmartRent contractors, supervised by the company, ensuring quality and consistency.
  • Self-Installation: A smaller percentage of clients use their own property staff for installations, supported by SmartRent’s guided tools.

Streamlined Control

When it came to device control and monitoring SmartRent knew they needed to provide a user interface that was intuitive, while still providing robust functionality for both residents and property managers.

  • Resident app supports device control, scheduling, and guest access.
  • SmartRent Manager app streamlines operations with insights into unit and device
    health.

Why Z-Wave?

SmartRent evaluated several technologies, but uses Z-Wave as a core protocol due to its unique advantages:

  • Stability and Reliability: The ability to ensure consistent device performance and integration.
  • Interoperability: Z-Wave’s open architecture enables compatibility with a large ecosystem of third-party devices, providing both SmartRent and their customers flexibility and choice.
  • Long-Range Capabilities:  Z-Wave Long Range supports extended coverage without additional hardware, which is a factor for distant storage units, garages, and more.
  • Future-Proofing: Even as the Z-Wave source code develops to support new features like Z-Wave Long Range, the ecosystem continues to be both forward and backward compatible.

Customer Validation

SmartRent’s collaboration with property managers and residents resulted in high adoption rates and positive feedback: “We aim to provide solutions that meet the unique needs of multifamily installations, from reliability to ease of use,” said SmartRent’s Chief Technology Officer Isaiah DeRose-Wilson.

Key Achievements

1. Operational Efficiency
  • Automated access control and maintenance workflows reduced errors and improved staff productivity.
  • Support operates a 24/7 in-house call center to troubleshoot issues and provide guidance, alleviating the burden on property staff.
  • SmartRent emphasizes a white-glove service model, handling everything from design and installation to ongoing resident support. This ensures a seamless experience for both property owners and tenants.
2. Enhanced Resident Experience:
  • Features like dynamic access codes for guests and remote device control improved tenant satisfaction.
  • SmartRent hardware with Z-Wave meets the unique needs of multifamily installations, like reliability, ease of installation, and better battery standards.
3. Asset Protection:
  • Leak sensors prevented significant property damage, with some clients reporting savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars in preventative incidents.
4. Scalability:
  • SmartRent emphasizes avoiding hardware lock-in, providing customers with open solutions while still adding value to encourage platform loyalty. The focus remains on enterprise needs rather than consumer-grade limitations to scale deployments across MDUs.
  • As of June 2025, deployed solutions in over 828,000 units across hundreds of properties, maintaining consistent performance.

 

“Our first installs were with Z-Wave locks. Open platforms ensure interoperability, and we avoided proprietary protocols.” –John Price, Manager R&D, SmartRent

Market Opportunity: Expanding the Smart Home Ecosystem in MDUs

While SmartRent serves 15 of the top 20 multifamily operators, the company still has significant room for growth, especially as building operators start to accept smart home technology as both a differentiator and a necessity. Z-Wave’s adaptability helps SmartRent quickly integrate new devices without extensive redevelopment keeping them nimble in the dynamic technology landscape.

SmartRent’s strategic choice of Z-Wave has helped the company set a new standard in smart home technology for MDUs. By addressing operational challenges, enhancing tenant satisfaction, and ensuring reliable device performance, SmartRent has positioned itself as a leader in the smart property space. With Z-Wave as a core protocol, the company is well-equipped to innovate and scale as the market evolves. This case study underscores SmartRent’s achievements as a testament to the transformative power of Z-Wave in the multifamily housing sector.

The ROI of Z-Wave-Enabled SmartRent Solutions

  • Cost Savings: Automation reduces operational expenses by minimizing manual tasks such as access control to units, automated move-in processes, and work orders. For example, property staff don’t have to manage physical keys, reducing costs and errors while minimizing manual tasks like key handovers.
  • Damage Prevention: Proactive leak sensors, temperature, and humidity detection help prevent damage and avoid costly repairs.
  •  Energy Efficiency: Thermostat automation during vacancies saves on utility costs, and also contributes to cost saving for properties with utilities included. When units are occupied, residents benefit from more efficient energy usage savings.

Key Forecasts in the Smart MDU Space

1. Emerging Trends: Features like water shutoff and expanded device compatibility present new growth and opportunities in the multifamily sector.
2. Healthy Competition: SmartRent sees competitors as a sign of a growing market and embraces competition as a way to validate and expand the smart home sector.
3. Expanding Smart Home Adoption: The MDU market is increasingly embracing smart home technology as a standard feature. The industry has shifted from skepticism to proactive adoption of smart locks and other smart technologies.
4. Maturity: The smart home sector has matured from niche interest (“home of the future”) to mainstream adoption, driven by practical benefits and growing consumer understanding.

About SmartRent

Founded in 2017, SmartRent, Inc. (NYSE: SMRT) is a leading provider of smart communities solutions and smart operations solutions to the rental housing industry. SmartRent’s end-to-enterprise ecosystem powers smarter living and working in rental housing by automating operations, protecting assets, reducing energy consumption, enhancing the resident experience and more. The Company’s differentiators – purpose-built software and hardware, and end-to-end implementation and support – create an exceptional experience, with 15 of the top 20 multifamily operators and millions of users leveraging SMRT solutions daily. For more information, please visit smartrent.com.

About the Z-Wave Alliance

The Z-Wave Alliance is a standards development organization dedicated to developing and advancing Z-Wave® technology as an open and internationally recognized ITU standard (G.9959) for smart home and IoT solutions. Alliance members continue to shape and drive the future of Z-Wave through open development in the Alliance OS Work Group. With over 4,500 certified wireless, interoperable devices, Z-Wave Alliance member companies provide leading-edge products and systems that deliver increased comfort, convenience, energy conservation, safety, security, and more. The Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) specification uniquely enables IoT applications beyond the home. With a range of up to 1.5 miles, ZWLR delivers the performance and scalability required in MDU, hospitality deployments, and more. Learn more at www.z-wavealliance.org

The Z-Wave Alliance Board of Directors is comprised of executives from ADT, Alarm.com, Amazon, Ring, Assa Abloy, BlueConnect Partners, Fortune Brands, Johnson Controls Inc., Nabu Casa, Silicon Labs, Trident IoT, and Vivint.