So you’re renting an apartment. You want to keep it secure, but you have to follow the rules of your landlord and your apartment complex. Apartment security is tricky! Luckily, we’ve done some of the hard work for you — read on to find out what measures you can take to secure your apartment.
8. Lock your door and your windows.
It’s simple, and it certainly won’t upset your landlord. While really determined burglars can get into an almost any space, you will deter amateurs just by locking your door and your windows, and as a bonus it will cost you absolutely no money and very little time.
7. Always report vandalism to the management.
While vandalism may not seem like a serious problem at first glance (or at least not as serious of a problem as burglary), it creates an environment of chaos and other other negative effects. For data on Vandalism crimes click here Having an environment of chaos makes residents and visitors alike feel unsafe, which causes them to spend less time in the area. The less time people spend in the area, the more likely that the crime rate will go up, because nobody is watching over the neighborhood. Bottom line: vandals cause a bigger problem than you may realize. Report vandalism to the management right away and get the situation fixed so that the apartment complex and the surrounding property will feel safe and the crime rate will stay down!
6. Talk to your neighbors.
If you can become friends with the other tenants of your apartment complex, say hi to them in the hallways, bring them over housewarming gifts, you’ll all stay a lot safer. For one, your neighbors can likely alert you to any suspicious activity. If you’re on good terms with your neighbors, they’re a lot more likely to call the police if they spot potential burglars attempting to break into your apartment. They’re also a lot more likely to tell any of their unruly guests to calm down and avoid damaging your property.
5. Talk to your landlord about available apartment security services.
There may be apartment security measures in place that you’re not aware of. If you can find out about those security measures it might help you to feel more at peace, and also to coordinate your own security solutions with the existing systems. Ask your landlord if your apartment complex has a guard, patrols, or a system in place to alert the police in the case of suspicious activity. Maybe if none of these systems are in place you could set up a neighborhood watch program!
4. Don’t keep your valuables in plain sight.
In the case that criminals do break into your apartment, the hope is that they take as few things as possible. The best way to prevent the theft of your valuables is to be proactive and keep your valuables in places that criminals wouldn’t think to look for them. It may even be a good idea to display fake jewelry or other decoy valuables so that burglars see and steal those rather than looking for the real thing. You should also be careful to store any valuable out of the line of sight from doors and windows, because burglars will often move on to the next home if they can’t see anything worth stealing when they look in the window.
3. Consider installing cameras.
There are a lot of security systems that you could install to increase your apartment security, but of all those systems, cameras are one of the most useful because you can capture footage of any criminals and use that footage to report any crimes to the police. Just make sure that there are sufficient lights surrounding any cameras that you install!
2. Talk to the management about installing parking lot cameras.
While parking lot security systems are not technically a part of your home security, they are still an important part of keeping you and your family safe. Parking lot cameras are especially important if you often come home alone or after dark, and you have even more right to ask for them if you have to pay for parking. However, you should ask the managers about parking lot cameras even if you don’t pay for parking because you deserve to feel safe and secure on your way into your apartment every day! Depending on your area, it may also be a good idea to ask about installing fencing and gating around your parking lot or the entrance to your parking garage to keep criminals and other unauthorized guests out of space.
1. Consider installing an alarm.
An alarm can both help you feel safer and alert the police if anyone enters your apartment uninvited. Depending on the type of alarm, you may need to speak with your landlord before installing it. Landlords are much more likely to approve low impact installation security options that are wireless. With your new alarm, you can rest easy knowing that there is nobody in your apartment who shouldn’t be there!