Door Entry and Intercom Upgrades for Apartment Buildings

If your building's door entry system calls residents through an analogue phone line, check it now. BT says that by the end of January 2027 UK customers and businesses will be migrated to a fully digital network, and that the change can affect devices such as alarms, door entry systems, CCTV and lifts as well as phones. Equipment still connected to a traditional line needs to work with a digital alternative, or it may stop working when the line is moved.

An upgrade is also a chance to fix what residents complain about: hard to read panels, lost fobs that cannot be cancelled and no way to let in a delivery. Start with an honest survey of what is installed and how it is connected.

Find out how your current system is connected

Hard wired audio or video: a panel at the entrance wired to handsets in each flat. These do not rely on a phone line, but parts and handsets can become hard to source as systems age
Phone line systems: the panel dials a resident's landline or mobile through a dedicated analogue line. These are the ones most likely to be affected by the digital switchover
Cellular or IP systems: the panel uses a mobile data SIM or the building's network and connects to residents through an app or a call to their phone
Access control alongside entry: fobs, cards or keypads on the main door, bin stores, car parks and plant rooms, often on a separate controller

Ask your phone provider which lines in the building are analogue and what they serve. Lift lines, alarm diallers and door entry often share the same cabinet, so one review can cover all three. BT says connected equipment must be compatible with one of its digital options, such as an analogue terminal adapter, so some systems can move to a new line while others are better replaced.

Power and resilience

Digital lines and network based panels rely on mains power for the router or modem. Wandsworth Council notes that after the switchover voice calls run through a router that needs power, and that battery backup is not guaranteed. For a door entry system, plan what happens in a power cut: whether the door fails locked or unlocked, how residents and emergency services get in, and whether the panel and its connection have backup power. Agree this with your fire risk assessor rather than deciding it on cost alone.

Fire safety links in higher buildings

In England, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 define a high-rise residential building as at least 18 metres in height or seven or more storeys. In those buildings the responsible person must keep a secure information box that firefighters can access, holding the responsible person's contact details and copies of the floor plans and a single page building plan. If a new access control system changes how the fire and rescue service gets into the building or the box, update the plans and make sure the service has the means of access.

The same regulations require monthly checks on lifts used by firefighters and on evacuation lifts, and a report to the fire and rescue service if one is out of order for more than 24 hours. If the lift's emergency line runs over the same analogue connection as the door entry, test both after any change. Our guide to fire door checks in blocks of flats covers the related door duties.

Video entry and data protection

Video panels capture images of residents and visitors. The ICO's video surveillance guidance applies to organisations and covers smart doorbell cameras alongside CCTV, so a managing agent or freeholder running a video entry system that records should treat it like any other camera: be clear about why it records, how long footage is kept, who can view it and how access requests are handled. Panels that only show live video to the resident being called carry less risk than systems that store every visit. Our article on CCTV in residential buildings sets out the steps in more detail.

Leaseholder consultation and costs

In leasehold blocks in England, replacing a communal door entry system is usually paid for through the service charge. If the works will cost any one leaseholder more than £250, the landlord must follow the section 20 consultation process, set out in the Service Charges (Consultation Requirements) (England) Regulations 2003. Cheshire West and Chester Council's guidance describes three stages (notice of intention, notice of estimates, and notice of reasons and award of contract) and says leaseholders normally have at least 30 days at each stage to comment. A maintenance or monitoring contract lasting more than 12 months can also need consultation where any leaseholder pays more than £100 in a year.

A practical upgrade checklist

Survey every entrance, panel, lock, closer and controller, recording make and age
Confirm which lines are analogue and what each serves
Decide how residents will answer, including those without smartphones
Agree power cut behaviour and backup with the fire risk assessor
Make sure lost fobs can be cancelled the same day
Set footage retention and access rules before go live
Run section 20 consultation where thresholds are met, and put door entry on a planned preventative maintenance schedule with a realistic replacement date
Phase the work so no entrance is left without working access

How Apex helps

Apex Options surveys existing door entry and access control, identifies lines affected by the digital switchover and plans replacements that fit the building and its residents. We coordinate installation with your wider maintenance programme and keep access working throughout. See our security and access control service, or our planned preventative maintenance service if you want door entry, lifts and alarms reviewed on one schedule.

Sources

Apex OptionsPublished 22 October 2026

Questions

Questions.

Will my door entry system stop working when analogue lines are switched off?

It might if it dials residents through an analogue phone line. BT says door entry systems are among the devices that can be affected and that equipment must be compatible with a digital option. Ask your provider which lines in the building are analogue and test the system after any change.

Do leaseholders have to be consulted before a new intercom is installed?

In England, if the works will cost any one leaseholder more than £250, the landlord must follow the section 20 consultation process before carrying them out. Councils that manage leasehold blocks describe three stages with at least 30 days for comments at each.

Does a video intercom count as CCTV under data protection law?

If an organisation records and stores images of people, the ICO's video surveillance guidance applies, and it covers smart doorbell cameras as well as CCTV. Live view only systems carry less risk, but the purpose, retention and access rules should still be written down.

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Door entry and intercom upgrades for apartment buildings: what to check before you replace.