Level has recently announced the release of a doorbell camera for multiunit buildings, which will be available exclusively as part of the company’s smart home platform for multifamily buildings. The Level app will allow residents to use the camera to communicate with visitors and also notify them when deliveries arrive. The doorbell camera has been designed to put residents on individual units, rather than having a camera shared by an entire apartment building.
The Level video doorbell is expected to bring sophistication and innovation to the multifamily market, similar to the company’s “invisible” smart lock that tucks all of its smart components into the deadbolt itself. The doorbell camera will be compatible with locks found in Level’s multifamily catalog, and users can toggle their door locks from the video call interface.
However, privacy concerns have been raised about similar systems in the past. For example, competitor Latch requires its locks to keep usage logs that landlords can potentially review. Although Level has touched on privacy in its press release, stating that the doorbell camera will be accessible from the Level app while being mindful of neighbor privacy and owner liability, it remains unclear what this means.
Level’s Chief Revenue Officer, Ned Murphy, has said that the company stores 20-second video clips for 72 hours but does not allow residents to record and store videos beyond that. Package detection will notify all residents within a unit when a package is found, including anyone on the lease for a given unit. However, it is still unclear how the doorbell camera notifies the correct resident about guests, and what “package identification intelligence” means. The company has been asked for more details on these and other related questions.
Level’s New Smart System for Multi-Dwelling Units
Level’s new smart system for multi-dwelling units is the result of the company’s acquisition of Dwelo in 2021. Similar to enterprise smart home company Latch, Dwelo offers a smart home system for apartment buildings and landlords, allowing residents to control basic preconfigured smart home devices that building owners own. However, Level’s new platform for multi-dwelling units is entirely new, designed and engineered by Level, according to the company’s CEO and co-founder, John Martin.
The new platform is expected to provide better quality and reliability than first-generation smart apartment platforms, which have been lacking in both areas. The Dwelo name will be retired, and the system will be put entirely under the Level brand.
Level’s new doorbell camera for multiunit dwellings, along with the company’s smart home platform for multifamily buildings, is expected to bring innovation and sophistication to the multifamily market. However, privacy concerns have been raised, and it remains unclear how the doorbell camera notifies the correct resident about guests and what “package identification intelligence” means. The new platform is expected to provide better quality and reliability than first-generation smart apartment platforms.
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