Smart Apartments

There are three reasons why smart light bulbs are worth it! For starters, they are energy efficient LED bulbs, which is good for the environment.

You can control your lighting from your phone, tablet or virtual assistant. This is a great feature for apartment dwellers because it means you can place a lamp where you don't have a wall switch. Now, you can turn the lights on and off without having to get off the couch.

And if that isn't enough, you can even change the lighting colour! This means you can set your lights to turn on with a warm, natural glow in the morning (to mimic the sun), or to change to different fun colours like red or blue to suit the mood or ambiance of a room.

Smart electrical plugs do not need to be wired in, as they plug into your apartment's existing outlets. They allow you to shut them off remotely, and some have extras such as energy monitors and timers. Using your phone, you can shut off a smart plug while you're at work (did you remember to turn off your curling iron?), out on the town, on vacation, or just too lazy to get out of bed.

Do you have a baby who really needs to nap? Are you a light sleeper who can't seem to settle in at night? A white noise, or sleep, machine can help mask external sounds and create a peaceful atmosphere. These can be controlled using a virtual assistant or an app on your phone or tablet. Enjoy some quality uninterrupted sleep!

In Ontario, since July 1, 2026, tenants have the right to install a window or portable air conditioner in a unit where the landlord does not supply cooling, as long as you tell the landlord in writing first and the unit is installed safely, meets local property standards and causes no damage (the Landlord and Tenant Board brochure on tribunalsontario.ca lists all the conditions). If electricity is included in your rent, the landlord may add a seasonal charge capped at the actual cost of running it. Outside Ontario, ask your landlord first. Either way, you can go high-tech with a Wi-Fi-enabled unit. This lets you control the air conditioner from anywhere with your phone, so you can start and stop cooling, change the mode or set the temperature while you're out. Turn it on about half an hour before you get home, and your apartment will be nice and cool when you walk in the door! Connecting with a virtual assistant will let you control the temperature by voice command when you're at home.

Robot vacuums have been around for a while now, and current models are far more capable than the early bump-and-turn units. Almost all of them connect to your Wi-Fi and virtual assistant, so you can control them through an app or by voice. Most map your apartment with lidar or a camera, which lets you draw no-go zones in the app (no more physically blocking off areas!), send the robot to clean a single room, set a cleaning schedule and, on many models, mop hard floors as well. Self-emptying docks are common, and the low profile fits under most sofas and beds.

There are many more cool gadgets out there that are compatible with a smart apartment setup, but some are off limits without permission. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are the landlord's responsibility and should never be removed or replaced by a tenant, and in Ontario changing the locks without the landlord's consent is not allowed. If you want a smart lock or a video doorbell, ask first and get the answer in writing; retrofit smart locks that fit over the existing deadbolt and battery-powered doorbells that mount with adhesive are the renter-friendly options.

If you're looking for a new place to set up a high-tech apartment, browse properties on Gottarent.com.