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Dealing with a leaky faucet is an annoyance.
Having to wash off the front walkway because of the debris left behind by a storm is just a minor inconvenience.
Living in an apartment with a busted window or a compromised front door can place you in harm’s way.
Living in a safe and secure apartment should be your number one priority. Before you sign on the dotted lease agreement line, make sure there are provisions written into the lease that ensure your safety. Utopia Management, a prominent California property management company, shares these these five smart security tips.
When is Your Apartment Most Vulnerable?
According to alarms.org, “While today’s burglary statistics show an overall decrease in burglary rates, thousands of homes (roughly 325,000) are still being broken into every year-often in plain view, during the day.”
That is a staggering statistic that begs a question: When do thieves like to illegally enter homes and apartments? The surprising answer is between noon and 4 pm. Burglars and other types of criminals like to move about during the day because it attracts less attention. Afternoons are also the time of day when many of us are at work. Burglaries and robberies happen much more frequently during the summer months, when there are more daylight hours to prowl in city neighbourhoods.
Budget Friendly DIY Smart Security Tips
You do not need to implement a Fort Knox like apartment security plan that costs you a considerable amount of money. Implement the following five tips to give you a peace of mind.
Close the Blinds
You probably have heard of curb appeal, which applies to prospective home buyers. For criminals, curb appeal represents the items they can see through one of your apartment windows. The is especially true for duplexes and ground floor apartments. If you do not already own blinds to hang over the apartment windows, spend a little money to purchase a matching set of blinds and most importantly, remember to close the blinds every time you leave your apartment.
Just a glimpse of a gaming system or a big screen television is more than enough to motivate a burglar to target a home or an apartment.
Install High Quality Locks
Far too many apartments are secured by locks that worked well in the 70s, but have little, if any protective benefits delivered today. Make sure to discuss the locks installed on every door and window with the property manager or the owner of the property. A mortise lock or a double cylinder deadbolt represents a highly effective lock that should deter most criminals. Installing a smart or a digitally operated lock takes apartment security to the highest level. Keyless entry smart locks not only add an extra layer of protection, the locks also make it virtually impossible to lock yourself out of the apartment.
Upgrade the Front Door
This smart security tip should involve your landlord or the person responsible for managing the entire complex. Steel is a heavy-duty material that presents a sleek appearance. In addition to a minimalist design, a steel exterior door can withstand years of frequent use, while not succumbing to prolonged exposure to wet conditions. Impact resistant, steel is the prime type of door to install at the front of your apartment to prevent criminals from gaining easy access. Wood doors are also secure, but you must maintain them and inspect the jambs. You can find plenty of secure exterior doors at online retailers. Tal Hassid of ETO Doors recommends replacing doors in the apartment building at one time, offering advice for the right doors for the building, and a personalised quote that is deeply discounted.
Make Hide and Seek a Tough Game to Play
Thieves like to look inside of a home or an apartment, before deciding whether to attempt a burglary. Once they gain access, the goal is to uncover more stuff to steal. You can make the game of hide and seek difficult by doing a few things.
- Lock valuables inside of a safe that is too heavy to carry out
- Store valuables in the freezer
- Hide stuff behind a false wall or on top of a ceiling tile
You can use almost any commonly found object to act as a secret storage spot for the things you want concealed from thieves. There are faux hairbrushes and fake canned goods that most criminals will never suspect as hiding places for your things. Burglars operate on a short clock, which means they want to grab easy to access items.
Add a Digitally Controlled Alarm System
Once again, get together with your landlord or the property manager to discuss installing a digital alarm system. The right system depends on what you want out of an alarm. There are three primary types of alarm systems that send thieves scurrying faster than a squirrel being chased by an owl.
- Wireless
- Motion sensor
- Motion detector
Motion sensors feel the impact of an intruder trying to enter a door or a window, while motion detectors detect the movements made by a criminal. A wireless alarm system eliminates the need to drill holes into one or more walls.
Bonus Tip
Despite the fact we have moved into the digital era, one of your smart security tips should involve old school networking with your neighbours. For example, if you need to leave town on a business trip, ask a trusted neighbour to watch over your apartment. The more eyes on your humble abode, the less likely a criminal will become emboldened and try to enter your apartment illegally.
Author Bio:
Peter Evering, Business Development Manager of Utopia Management, is an expert in managing apartment and property management. Utopia Management offers both commercial and residential property management at some of the lowest rates available.
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