Very soon, entire buildings and communities will have the potential to become “Alexa enabled” and enable renters and community members have the smart home experience without having to painstakingly set up each smart device with their own Amazon Echo devices. This could be very helpful for people with disabilities who want the smart home experience but do not have the ability to purchase smart devices and/or set them up.

Alexa for Residential is meant for property managers  so they can not only make every unit smart but also easily manage all the units at scale with a one time investment and setup. Each unit will be installed with Alexa compatible smart devices, and a renter will be able to move into a unit and immediately start using Alexa’s abilities around the house.  Besides making units smart, property managers will be able to create custom skills for their properties and their residents – creating maintenance requests through Alexa, for example. Besides controlling their smart devices in their unit, renters will be able to use Alexa for other regular activities as well, like listening to music, shopping from Amazon etc.

According to the National Apartment Association, 84% of renters want an apartment with smart home amenities and 61% of them will pay a monthly fee  for a voice assistant. Amazon is stepping up in the rental property market to cater to this audience. 

Watch the video below to learn more about Alexa for residential.

What do you think of this new step from Amazon? Will renters with disabilities or senior citizens appreciate this new initiative from Amazon?

Source: Amazon