Building Access for a Dog Walker or Cleaner in Vancouver

If a dog walker, cleaner or pet sitter needs to get into your Vancouver building while you’re at work, you have a few options: meet them, let them in remotely through the building’s entry system, ask management for a registered fob in their name, or give them a spare fob. The right choice depends on your building’s rules and how much you trust the arrangement. Here’s how to weigh each one and keep your building secure.

Start with your building’s rules

Most condo and apartment buildings in Downtown Vancouver control who gets in, and many strata corporations have bylaws about fobs, guests and service providers. Some buildings only allow fobs issued by management, some keep a register of who holds each fob, and some limit how many fobs a unit can have.

Before you set anything up, look for:

• Your strata bylaws and rules (owners), or your tenancy agreement and any building rules (renters)
• Whether service providers need to sign in with the concierge or front desk
• Whether lockboxes are allowed on the property
• How to request an extra fob and how to report a lost one

If anything is unclear, ask your property manager or strata council in writing so you have the answer on record. Our post on questions to ask about fobs when moving into a strata has a useful checklist.

Option 1: Let them in remotely

Many buildings have an entry panel at the front door that calls a resident’s phone. When your helper arrives, they find your listing, it rings your phone, and you press a key to open the door. Some newer systems use an app that lets you open the door from your phone or send a temporary access code.

This works well for occasional visits because nobody holds a fob. The downsides:

• You need to answer every time, which is hard in meetings or on transit.
• It often only opens the front door, not the elevator, parkade or your floor.
• If your phone is off or out of battery, your helper is stuck outside.

If this is your plan, make sure the number linked to your unit is current. Ask management how to update it if you’ve changed numbers.

Option 2: Ask management for a fob in their name

For a weekly cleaner or daily dog walker, the tidiest arrangement is often a fob issued by the building and registered to that person or to your unit as a service fob. Not every building offers this, and there may be a fee or a deposit set by the building, but it has real advantages:

• The building knows who holds it.
• Access can often be limited to certain doors or hours, depending on the system.
• If the arrangement ends or the fob goes missing, management can usually deactivate that one fob without affecting yours.

Ask what the process is for returning or deactivating it, and put a reminder in your calendar to review it every few months.

Option 3: Lend them your spare fob

Lending a spare is the simplest option, and plenty of people do it, but treat it as handing over a key. Only do it if your building’s rules allow it, and keep these habits:

1. Don’t put your address on it. No unit number, building name or street on the fob or keyring. If it’s lost, a stranger shouldn’t know where it opens.
2. Write it down. Note which fob went to whom and on what date. Our guide to labelling and tracking spare fobs shows a simple way to do this.
3. Agree on the basics. Where they’ll keep it, that they won’t lend it on, and that they’ll tell you right away if it’s lost.
4. Get it back. When the arrangement ends, collect the fob in person rather than having it left in a mailbox or under a mat.

If you don’t have a spare, you can ask management for one, or ask whether your fob can be copied. A copy is only appropriate for a fob you’re entitled to use, and only where your building allows it.

What about lockboxes and leaving a fob somewhere?

Hiding a fob under a doormat or in a planter is risky; those are the first places anyone looks. Combination lockboxes are better, but many strata buildings restrict or ban them on common property, so check first. If you do use one, change the code when the arrangement ends and don’t share it by text with anyone other than the person who needs it.

Never leave a fob in an unlocked mailbox, a lobby planter or with a neighbour you haven’t asked. A lost fob can let a stranger into the whole building, not just your unit.

Your unit door is a separate question

A fob usually only gets someone through the building’s shared doors and elevators. Your helper still needs to get into your suite. Options include giving them a physical key, or, if you have a smart lock, creating a separate user code for them that you can delete later. A separate code is handy because you can see when it’s used, depending on the lock, and remove it without changing anything for yourself. If you rent, check your tenancy agreement before changing or adding a lock.

If a fob goes missing

Act quickly, even if you think it will turn up:

• Tell your building manager or concierge right away so they can deactivate it if the system allows.
• Let them know which fob it was, using your written list.
• Ask about getting a replacement through the building.

Our post on what to do after losing a building fob covers the steps in more detail.

Need a spare fob? Visit MyChoice on Granville Street

MyChoice Mobile Repair is a kiosk in Downtown Vancouver on Granville Street, open every day from 9 AM to midnight. We offer fob copy for compatible building access fobs. Not every fob can be copied, so bring your fob and we’ll check if it can be copied, and please confirm your building’s rules first.

Questions before you come in? Call (236) 785-8300 or ask for a quote.