Today, I learned I will be having a SmartRent SmartHome system installed within the next two weeks. Not real happy about this but unfortunately have no choice. @kosmicken started a thread about this system several years ago.
I really hate the thought of losing my current lock and thermostat automations so I'm trying to figure out what options I have for combining this Alloy Z-Wave Hub and Hubitat.
The Alloy Hub User's Guide has a section dealing with joining secondary controllers and joining other hubs as a secondary controller so I was thinking I could bring the Alloy Hub and it's devices into HE as a secondary controller. I've never done anything like that before so don't know if that's possible.
If it is, I wonder if that would change how the SmartRent service works. Would the lock and thermostat still be controllable from their stupid app? Would their water alerts still trigger action by maintenance and management? Am I denying maintenance immediate access.? Would SmartRent be able to see that their Alloy hub is a secondary controller?
I guess the first thing I need to do is find out if tampering with their system is a violation of my lease. LOL
Thanks for reading and I appreciate all suggestions!
Not being a lawyer, I can't say for sure. If you have an existing lease and this new system is not a part of it, then I would think not. However, when the lease is renewed, you would need to read carefully to see if the new system is specified and the conditions you would be agreeing to by signing a new lease. Does your existing lease specify that changes such as adding this system can be done without both parties agreeing to it?
Now on the practical side, I expect that the property owner/manager would insist the new system be used. I just took a look. I am glad we are purchasing, not renting. Some of the features for the property owner/manager I would not be happy with. Imagine that you need the place to be at 72 degrees because of a medical condition and your property owner/manager decides it needs to be at 78 degrees instead (or 65 in the winter). Or if the property owner/manager decides to change the access codes for the next place but mistakenly enters your apartment's address, changing yours instead.
Unfortunately, you may have to live with the new system. As for making it a secondary hub, that is a question for someone much more familiar with the SmartRent system to know if it is even technically possible. From what I was seeing on the web site, I think it is a proprietary, locked-down system.
Edit: The hub is WiFi and Z-Wave Plus. Zigbee is not mentioned but Bluetooth is.
I agree with @StephenH I would not allow such an invasive system controlled by someone into my home especially if it's not in the lease. I would submit a letter refusing while you're living there. When lease renewal comes up, time to find another place.
I have a friend who lives in an apartment building where the HVAC is semi-controlled by the building manager - each apartment can set their own temperature, but the manager decides whether the HEAT is enabled or the AIR CONDITIONING is enabled, and the changeover from one season to another is never smooth or timely.
Not being in control of your own temperature is the pits. As others have suggested, refuse the new system and start looking for your next lease.
This is common when heating and cooling is accomplished via a building-wide water recirculation system. Each unit has water-to-air heat exchangers that can be controlled via a local thermostat, but the water in the building loop cannot be both hot and cold at the same time. Thus, the whole building is either heating or cooling.
Indeed. Many older apartment and office towers had 2-pipe fan coil units that could either operate in heating or cooling mode. The building I worked in is about to start a major renovation - one change will be to replace the 2-pipe system with a more modern 4-pipe system.
I spoke to the owner's rep that is overseeing the installations and he assured me that thermostat settings will only be adjusted remotely in vacant units. They also have a way to make sure all units have a minimum heating set in the event of severe freezing temperatures. Access to the units must still be granted by the tenant unless there is an emergency, scheduled work, or the tenant fails to respond to an access request within 24 hours.
I appreciated the rep listening to my concerns and allowing me to demonstrate my HE system, showing how many of my automations benefit my disabled wife and save power. In almost 1000 installations he's overseen, I will be the first that has anything more than Hue or wifi bulbs.
This new system is something I'll have to live with for at least the next 11 1/2 months so I am just looking for ideas to help make the best of it.
P.S. The rep had never heard of Hubitat. I had Yale's web page for the lock they are installing open on my phone and was able to show him the "Works with Hubitat". That was cool!
That's good news for you. I can certainly understand the owner not wanting to heat empty spaces. We have a rental suite and since it's electrically heated and I'm paying that bill, I use a combination of Nest Protect presence sensing and a mmW sensor, together with the door lock state to determine if the tenant is home. That way I can drop the temp to a reasonable standby level when they're at work. We rent to medical professionals and they are gone for 12 hours or more, at least 4-5 days a week. Our last tenant kept the heat so constantly high, that our electrical bill went up by $200 per month this last Winter.
Typical programmable thermostat settings don't work for us. I'm retired. My wife is home most of the time. Hubitat lets me set "away" temperatures for when we are gone and "home" temperatures when we arrive. fortunately, we have natural gas heating, so it does not take too long to warm up. Cooling off on a really hot day after we have been gone is a different question. It can take a while.
If tweaking your HVAC system for efficiency and automating your locks is something you enjoy, steer clear of any property that offers SmartRent as an amenity. That's my opinion after a weekend with this crap.
Installed:
Alloy SmartHome Hub v3. Under the hood, it appears to be a proprietary Zipato Z-Wave system. Connecting to the mothership is done via a 4g modem, but if you want better performance, you can put it on your LAN via wifi or ethernet. You will have a persistent message in the app if you don't so mine is on Comcast/Xfinity's public wifi network. Renters do not have any way to include additional devices themselves.
Yale YRD-256. Seems like I decent lock but I wonder how long it'll take for me to get over the fear of not having a physical key anymore. SmartRent issues an entry code for each tenant listed on the lease. Temporary guest codes can be issued but they are only good for 48 hours and one use. Recurring guest codes are good for 2 hours a day/ 5 days a week.
Honeywell T6 Pro Thermostat. Seems like a very capable thermostat but SmartRent has neutered it so only modes, setpoints, and home/away are adjustable. Renters are not able to get into any of the advanced configurations. I am investigating why my cooling cycles are now only 8 minutes long. Before, with similar outdoor conditions, I averaged about 11 cooling cycles/day for a total of 6.2 hours of run time. Yesterday, I had 72 cycles for a total run time of 9.6 hours. Not cool!!!
1 Jasco Switch w/ Accessory Switch. Not much to say. They replaced my 3-way dimmer dining room circuit with on/off.
3 Alloy Leak Sensors. They are also sold with Zipato branding and I think Monoprice. Seem like good sensors. I have a rule on the HE system that turns on the lights nearest the sensor that reports wet. Without that automation on the new system, I had a hell of a time figuring out where the shrill alert was coming from at 4:45 am. The mystery was solved when our cat ran by me with the external probe hanging out of his mouth. I was then able to mark the alert as a false alarm and cancel the maintenance work order in the app.
SmartRent does have Alexa/ Google Home integrations. With Alexa, I can lock and unlock the front door by voice and do basic things with the thermostat, but neither of those devices can be used as triggers in routines and doors can't be unlocked via routines so it's pretty useless.
This new system is not the sole reason, but rather the last straw. We will not be renewing next year.
