Apartment Security 101

As an apartment dweller, there are a lot of steps you can take to improve security. Protecting yourself and your possessions should be one of your primary concerns. I'm going to give you a few of suggestions here to help make your apartment a little safer, a little more secure.

First, let's talk a little about doors. When you moved in, the manager should have changed the lock on the front door. Sure, the previous tenants turned in their keys, but keys can be copied. So if the locks weren't changed, who knows how many people could be walking around out there with a key to your apartment! The frame for the door should be in good condition and solid. You should have, at minimum, your standard door lock and a dead bolt. The dead bolt throw should extend into the frame at least 1" and the strike plate should be secured with 3" screws, long enough to anchor it to the stud.

Finally, if you have a peephole, use it!

Sliding Doors. You should have an adjustable door brace or "charlie bar" to keep anyone from sliding it open. Even a broomstick cut to length will work really well. Sliding doors are notoriously easy to jimmy open. One other thing to consider here is, you should use an anti-lift device. These doors can simply be lifted up and pushed out. After all, that's how they were installed! You can install an anti-lift pin assembly, which is secured to the sliding half and the pin seats in the frame of stationary half. A second option is to install sheet metal screws in the top rail every several inches with the screws only partially screwed in. The heads should be exposed enough to let the door slide, but at the same time, prevent the door from being lifted.

On the subject of windows, everything that applied to sliding doors, applies here for sliding windows.

In addition, there are clamps which attach to the window rail which will allow you to open the window just a little for ventilation. You should place them to allow the window to open no more than 6". Another device you may consider is a glass breakage alarm. If the window or door is bumped or the glass broken, it sounds a really annoying alarm, hopefully alerting your neighbors!

With the windows and doors out of the way, I'd like to add a few more suggestions to consider. First, cameras and alarms. Let's suppose the bad guys do manage to break in even with all the precautions we've taken. With a well placed hidden camera you might get some nice footage which would be an immense help to the police. You can get these cameras with everything (camera, DVR, etc) built into everyday objects, such as clocks, radios and fans.

I mentioned alarms. Maybe you don't want to get a monitored system for your apartment. You can, however, get an alarm system which will call you if the alarm is tripped. These usually come with the option of sounding an alarm (make sure your neighbors know!) or a silent mode.

For the times you're not home, you should have your lights on a timer. You could even put a TV or radio on a timer. If it looks like you're home, chances are really in your favor the bad guys are going to pass you up. One more thing before we move outdoors. Document your belongings (video, photos or written records)  including make, model and serial numbers. After you've done this, get renters insurance! It's cheap!

Outside, if you have a balcony or patio, you might consider a motion activated light. It's not a bad idea even if you're not on the first floor. Make sure all of the outdoor lighting works and that shrubs or other plants don't provide hiding places in front of windows or doors. If lighting needs to be replaced or plants, trees, etc . need to be trimmed, let management know and follow up. Lastly, get to know your neighbors and look out for one another.  Know who belongs and who doesn't. This can go a long way toward making your apartment complex a safer place to live.

There are a lot of suggestions here and I don't mean to imply you need all of them! You can pick and chose what you think will work for you and your budget. In large part, your safety and security is dependent on you being proactive. Be aware and stay safe!

Apartment Security Tips

Many apartment residents do not think much about home security believing that it is only homeowner’s task. Whether it’s your first time living in a large apartment building or you’re quite accustomed to the practice, there are definitely different sorts of home security concerns to address when you’re living in a larger building with lots of other people. First of all, even if you protect everything inside your apartment with a security system you must rely on others to secure the building exterior, grounds and parking areas. Get to know your landlord or building manager and be sure to bring security issues to their attention. The chance of your apartment being burglarized is much greater than living in a house.

The reason why apartments are a common target is that there are so many people are in and out of apartment buildings all the time and it is harder to keep non-residents out.

After all, you would notice a stranger but you will not know who should and shouldn’t be walking down a hallway of an apartment building. So what can be done to tackle crime in apartment blocks? Fortunately there are several measures that can be taken to ensure security in your apartment. This article describes the most appropriate action that can be taken to secure apartment.

If burglars do gain entry they are most likely to grab smaller items that they can quickly escape with. Cash is obvious but jewelry, laptop computers, and small electronic appliances or devices are also targeted items that can be quickly sold or pawned. The smartest thing to do is prevent being burglarized in the first place, but you can save yourself a lot of aggravation in the event you are burglarized, by following these steps:

1.

Have your driver’s license number etched or engraved on all valuable items

2. Photograph valuable items, make a video of your apartment, and keep a record of items including descriptions, makes, models and serial numbers

3. Make a copy of everything important in your wallet, as well as other important documents, each year

Once you’ve got your photos and records up to date, keep them in a safe deposit box or other safe place off site. Do not keep them in your apartment.

4. If you’re walking up to your building late at night , it’s considerably safer for you if you make sure that your keys are in hand, and that you aren’t busy chatting away on your cell phone. A considerable amount of robberies take place when residents aren’t aware of their surroundings, so be sure to stay alert until you are comfortable in your actual apartment, it is a great strategy to keeping your apartment safe and secure.

Lock your windows. If you’re stepping out for whole night or just for a couple of hours, be sure to lock your windows. After all, an open window is practically an open invitation to a criminal mind. It is more difficult to break in window if you keep them closed.

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