Essential Security Measures for Apartment Living
From replacing the locks or planning how to survive a fire, follow these steps to be safe and secure in your apartment.
Living in an apartment is the perfect choice for many people. Whether you are a single person who travels a lot, a family that can’t handle yard work, or a senior who wouldn’t be safe in a house alone, a good apartment offers a simple, maintenance-free lifestyle.
However, apartment dwellers, renters or owners, have security problems only relevant to apartment living. Here are a number of the most essential worries and how to eliminate them.
Strict access control
When you search for your apartment, inquire about tight security. Does the apartment complex you are opting for have a perimeter wall and a gatehouse?
Does the building have
locked entrances and an intercom system that dwellers can screen who can enter
the property?
The building you would go for should have active instruments for controlling
who can get in.
There should be many phases of access control, from doormen to guest registries. Generally, this kind of security precautions comes with higher rent, so figuring out the right balance for your budget is important.
Shared commitment and communication
If the apartment complex you dwell in has an intercom system where residents can unlock the front door from their apartments, resident-operated access control systems are only as good as the people who use them.
Intercom systems are useless if strangers are usually entering into the property. Talk to the residents of the building to learn more about how serious residents are about maintaining security in the building.
Changing the locks
It is a necessary action to change all the exterior door locks when you move into a new home. It’s also advised to do this when you buy an apartment, but most people usually ignore this, particularly when renting the apartment not purchasing it.
It is essential to change the door locks, even if the landlord tells you that the lock has been changed recently.
Most landlords move locks from one apartment
to another as people move in and out. So, anyone who has a key to an apartment
they rented in your building could easily enter your apartment if his old lock is
installed on your front door.
Additional lock
If the landlord won’t permit changing the lock, request installing an extra lock to your apartment’s front door. Many landlords will accept it since they are given a key.
Doing so allows you to choose a higher-security lock, which will make your apartment less inviting to anyone attempting a break-in.
Parking lot and garage safety
Parking areas, whether open lots or garages, are poorly lit and isolated, making them dangerous.
According to statistics, 10 percent of
property crimes happen in parking garages, including everything from petty
larceny to armed robbery.
Make sure the apartment you choose has a parking lot or garage that is well-lit
24 hours a day. And there must be active surveillance cameras that are
recording everything.
Try to park close to the exit to shorten the time and distance you are walking in the garage. In case your apartment building assigns a certain area to you, don’t be hesitate to ask for a spot near an exit.
Have an emergency plan in case of a fire
Most of us don’t matter where we live, must have an emergency plan to escape safely in the event of a fire.
For people who live
larger buildings or on higher floors, the difficulty of evacuating quickly may needeven
more creative ideas.
Escape ways
Not knowing the right fire escape route before can cost you your life. Many buildings have fire escape plans put on walls or on maps that landlords will inform you about when you move in.
But Many buildings do not, and it is your turn to create your plan.
Elevators must not be used in case of a fire. So, you must be aware of the location of the stairs that are near your apartment.
In case you live in an old building with exterior window fire escapes, ensure that the window opens easily. Practice operating the ladder that drops from the second floor to the ground level and ensure that it is set in good working order.
Fire extinguishers and alarms
Make sure you have fire extinguishers in your apartment and learn where fire extinguishers and fire alarms are located in your building.
Smoke detectors
Most apartments are required to have smoke
detectors. However, it is your responsibility to change the batteries and make
sure they are functioning well. This must be done at least twice a year.
Carbon monoxide detectors. In case your apartment does not have
carbon monoxide detectors, you should add them, particularly if your building
has fireplaces or natural gas is used in the building.
To make sure you don’t miss it, get into the habit of automatically changing
your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries when daylight
savings time starts and ends.