Home Security Tips in Apartments and
Condos
With crime rates going up because of the hardships of life, it is
sometimes hard not to feel a little bit paranoid even when inside
your home. News of house break-ins are often seen in television and
these are stories that have happened in real life. Although majority
of these break-ins only result in loss of property, there are some
cases when lives are lost.
One of the places where break-ins are abundant is in condos and
apartments where there is communal living. Unlike houses, that have
their own gates and fences, condos and apartments will only have one
gate and one door for so many tenants.
People come and go, as there are a lot of people who live there.
Oftentimes, they don’t even know or recognize each other. This type
of arrangement is good for the thief as the access will be easier
and there is of course less chance of any body identifying them.
Perhaps another factor in the high rate of break-ins in apartments
and condos is also the lack of security personnel in the lobby.
Often, buildings will only have an intercom system, which visitors
can use to communicate with tenants. If they know the person, the
tenants will allow the visitors to open the door through an
electronic lock. Although the electronic lock is not that easy to
override, thieves who want to go inside will simply wait for another
person to go inside and then follow them in.
What tenants can do to help prevent break-ins in the building is to
petition the management to hire a security personnel that will man
the lobby. Of course, by requesting this, people in the building
should know that they will have to shoulder the salary of the
security personnel. Since one building will often have many tenants,
shouldering the expenses will not be much of a problem.
Still, even if the management does not approve of the proposition,
it does not mean that residing in an apartment or condominium is a
hazard. In fact, you can observe your own safety habits. Here are
some of them.
Lock your door. Always.
There is no excuse for not keeping doors and windows locked every
time you leave. You don’t just forget these kinds of things. Locking
your door can mean the difference between safety and danger.
Besides, making it a habit will help you keep safe wherever you go,
not only in your apartment.
One of the things that people forget to lock are the bedroom windows
and the back doors. There are many instances when the front door is
locked but the kitchen doors are left open. Remember that thieves
can enter at any points in the house so make sure that every door
and lock is locked!
Only ask a handful to visit
Make a conscious effort to only ask people that you are close with
to go to your apartment. Limit yourself to a handful of people. If
you must meet people, do them outside your apartment.
If you can, encourage other people in the building to also do the
same. This is to ensure that people who go inside are all familiar,
making it easier to spot a stranger in the building.
Put a doorman.
Of course, one cannot prevent anyone from holding a party inside
their apartment. In cases like these, when you expect a lot of
people to come inside your house, ask someone to man the door of the
building. Make your party strictly by invitation only. This means
that people who do not have an invite cannot come in, not only
inside your apartment or condo but in the building as well.
|
|
|
