Moving into a new apartment can be stressful, but living in an unsecured apartment is far worse than that.
We often hear people talking about apartment security, but what does that mean exactly? What constitutes a safe and secure apartment, and how do you spot if you happen not to live in one?
If those are some of the questions you’re wondering – you’re in luck.
Today, we’re going to discuss some of the basics of apartment safety and discuss signs that you need to improve your apartment security.
Let’s begin.
1. The Door Comes Without Peephole
You may find this a bit goofy, but peepholes are important even in today’s day and age. Despite security cameras and everything going digital, you can still greatly benefit from having a peephole.
If the power goes out or your apartment complex’s cameras happen to die – the peephole will be the only way to know who’s at your door.
2. There Are No Security Cameras
A peephole might be a decent feature, but a security camera is
pretty much a must-have today. Every respectable apartment complex or building should come with security cameras.
There should be one or two cameras looking directly at the entrance, a couple of cameras should be in the hall, some of them should be in the parking lot, and so on.
If your apartment building isn’t equipped with these – it’s a liability. At that point, you might want to consider installing something like Ring solely for your apartment, although we would much rather if you could talk to the neighbors and landlords to get a CCTV system for the whole building.
3. The Lock On The Door Is Old
The older the lock, the easier it is to get picked. That’s pretty much how it goes.
Old locks are notoriously easy to pick. Some burglars could probably do it with nothing more but a hairpin, let alone their preferred tools of the trade.
Therefore, if you happen to notice that your apartment door’s lock is old – get a new one. Talk to your landlord about installing a new lock, and get this problem sorted out.
4. There’s Only One Way To Lock The Door
Speaking of locks, the only way to make sure you’re safe and secure inside of your apartment is if there’s more than one lock.
A single lock is not secure enough. That’s the harsh truth. You should at least look at two different locks on your door, but if possible, we’d recommend going with three.
One of them should only be lockable from the inside, protecting you and your loved ones during the night and helping your sleep soundly, and the other ones should lock both from the inside and the outside, keeping your apartment safe even when you’re out.
5. There Are No Locks On Your Windows
Unless you have an easily accessible fire escape, you don’t really have to worry about this if you’re living on the second floor or above, but even so – windows should come with a lock.
We don’t think about it often, but windows can be a major security liability. If they can’t be locked or closed from the inside, no amount of door locks will keep your apartment safe. Anyone will be able to just pop in through the windows.
So, if you happen to notice there aren’t any locks on your windows – get them installed right away.
6. A Gate To Apartment Complex Isn’t Locking Properly
Living in a gated community is probably your safest option if you live in an apartment complex, but unless the apartment gate entry security is up to the task – it really doesn’t make any difference where you live. If the gate’s not locking or unlocking properly – what’s the point of even having one?
The gate should be secure and controlled with a smart key that’s only given to residents, so you don’t waste time flipping through your keys every time you get home a bit tipsy. Also, having a doorman operate the gate would also be a nice tough, although lack of one isn’t really a security risk in our book.
7. Apartment Entryways And Halls Are Dim
It’s pretty scary if you have to walk through a dark, dim corridor and entryway during the night just to get to your apartment. There’s only so much your phone’s flash can illuminate.
Dark and dim apartment entryways and halls are usually a great sign that you live somewhere not exactly secure. While we understand that blinking lights aren’t really that good either, we’d much rather opt-out for those than to walk in the dark during the night.
8. There’s No Light In The Parking Lot
Parking lots are notoriously unsafe and are often the place where most accidents happen. However, if you live in a building with private parking – you’re much better off.
However, just because a parking lot isn’t public doesn’t mean it’s automatically safe – especially if it’s not illuminated properly.
Every parking lot should come with bright lights that keep it nicely lit during the night. Without it, it’s just not secure enough.
9. You Haven’t Changed A Lock Since You Moved
Circling back to locks, one of the things that point to an apartment with a bit of a security liability is a lock that hasn’t been changed in a while. Although, this one’s not really a liability if you own the place.
On the other hand, if you’re renting the spot, we’d suggest talking to your landlord about getting a new lock right after you move in. If you own the place, you don’t have to worry about this. After all, you don’t know who lived there before you or have they made a copy of the key that they kept.
So, change the lock. You’ll be better off for it.
10. Your Neighbours Are Sketchy
Finally, sometimes it’s not about the apartment but the people surrounding it.
If you don’t happen to like your neighbors – that’s fine. However, if you think they’re sketchy and you happen to suspect some potentially illegal behavior, that’s a good sign that your apartment isn’t as safe as you might think it is.
In fact, even you are probably not as safe as you think you are. Therefore, instead of wasting your time bolting the door with another lock – just move as soon as you can.
Conclusion
Apartment safety is paramount, so if you happen to notice any of these signs, try your best to get them sorted out with your landlord, your neighbors, or all by yourself. If you can’t do it, it may be best to consider moving to another place with better security features.
