The Wizard of Oz enjoys the distinction of being the most-watched movie of all time. After insightful encounters with the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow, the time comes for Dorothy to return to the safety and security of her Kansas home. She clicks her magical ruby shoes together and repeats, “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.”
Today’s smart devices give added meaning to the notion that there’s no place like home. Collectively, they deliver safety and security, convenience, and time savings. The resulting peace of mind is not easily quantified; that feeling of being secure and in control is priceless. Time savings are another important consideration. Seconds and minutes saved today become many hours over the course of the year.
As tenants invest in smart devices, landlords deploy smart climate control, security, and large appliances to enhance their properties.
Today’s Smart Apartment
A smart apartment home features devices you control remotely or onsite. Automate operation via mobile apps, voice commands, and/or dedicated remotes. While hard-wired devices are generally off limits, many smart products are wireless.
Rental-friendly smart devices require minimal or no physical installation. When in doubt, discuss a given item with your landlord or property manager in advance.
Smart Devices For Your Apartment
Most smart devices integrate with one or more of the leading smart ecosystems. Leading smart home assistants include Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit (Siri). Amazon is rolling out Alexa+ in 2025. Input key dates, nutritional preferences, and family recipes, and Alexa will personalize suggestions.
The latest smart assistants are more intuitive than ever. Gesture controls and voice commands combine to make the user experience more natural. Use smart assistants to make dining reservations, order groceries, stream music, and more. As you choose smart devices for your apartment, consider how they will integrate with your preferred smart hub.
Entertainment
Smart TVs increasingly integrate with these smart hubs. In some models, AI enhances the picture, optimizes sound, and delivers personalized recommendations. AI upscaling can make even 1080p images demonstrably better. Some smart TVs even offer wireless display tech for more streamlined entertainment systems.
If your passion is gaming, look for smart TVs with high refresh rates, low latency, and HDMI 2.1 support. As prices drop, 8K TVs continue to gain market share. In general, OLED tech is great in dark rooms, while QLED and mini-LED are popular in brighter rooms.
The mini-LED Hisense U9N does a great job of including features like hands-free voice control and built-in 4.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos speakers at a competitive price. Refined local dimming delivers deeper blacks.
Security
Renters have a wide array of wireless security cameras to select from. Attach a wire-free camera with a magnetic base or double-sided tape, and take the device with you when you move. Use your smartphone to monitor activity throughout your apartment home.
Store footage on a microSD card, or select optional off-site storage in the Cloud. The TP-Link Tapo C120 includes sound detection for diverse sounds from dog barking to glass breaking.
Consider features like 360-degree panning and high-quality night imaging in color. Reduce false alarms with smart threat detection using AI and complex algorithms.
Kitchen Automation
While landlords typically supply larger appliances, tenants can still select smaller ones. Smart coffeemakers, blenders, slow cookers, and air fryers are all examples.
The Keurig K-Café Smart Coffee Maker excels at brewing lattes and cappuccinos. The Philips 3000 Series is a versatile smart air fryer with rapid heating tech. Slow cook prodigious amounts of food with a Crock-Pot 7-Quart Slow Cooker. “MyTime” adjusts cooking cycles to deliver your meal exactly when you want it.
Lighting
Smart lighting is easy, versatile, and impactful. For example, control Philips Hue light bulbs with voice commands or via the Philips smartphone app. Select from built-in settings like “Energize” or “Relax,” or set up your own custom settings. Hue light bulbs work with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple HomeKit (via Hue Bridge).
Window Treatments
Most smart window shades, blinds, and curtains integrate with various smart hubs. Smart window treatments deliver energy savings and ambience directly from your smartphone. Select your preferred style and color, along with the amount of privacy and light filtering desired.
Good Housekeeping rates the thermal-insulated Graywind Motorized Solar Shades as a “best value.”
Plugs and Power Strips
Smart plugs and power strips make existing electric outlets smart by connecting them to your home’s WiFi. There are some Bluetooth models as well. Smart plugs and power strips work best with devices that have an off/on switch that’s kept in the “on” position.
Use them with lamps, chargers, radios, dehumidifiers, pet feeders, crockpots, and dozens of other devices. Pair them with your smart hub for even more versatility.
Air Monitoring and Purification
On average, individuals spend about 90% of their time indoors, where pollutants are 2x to 5x more prevalent. Look for smart air quality monitoring offering particle, CO2, and VOC detection. Air impurities often spike when you are cooking or cleaning.
The Spruce rates the Levoit Core 400S Smart Air Purifier as a “best value.” Better Homes and Gardens declares it the “best overall” out of 90 models. The 400S includes a 3-in-1 filter for pet dander, smoke, and dust.
The Smart Apartment of the Future
AI will increasingly allow smart devices to adapt to personal preferences in real time. Devices considered luxuries today will become tomorrow’s necessities. In the future, look for security systems with facial recognition, voice-controlled speakers that recognize emotions, and AI-powered nutrition in the kitchen.
In many ways, the future is now. As never before, it is possible to turn your smart apartment into a personalized oasis. Truly, there’s no place like home!
About Draper and Kramer
Draper and Kramer is a family-owned, full-service real estate firm founded in 1893. We manage luxury apartment properties in Illinois, Texas, Arizona, Missouri, and Colorado. Browse our complete selection of amenity-rich properties in major urban areas like Chicago, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, and St. Louis.
Discover the latest smart home technology transforming apartments in 2025 — from AI-powered entertainment and wireless security to automated lighting, appliances, and air purification — making modern living more connected, efficient, and secure.
