Tips For Staying Safe When Living In An Apartment Building

If you love urban life and everything it entails, living in an apartment building is for you. From better work prospects to a rich social life, entertainment, fine dining, shows, arts and museums, recreational parks – it's a wonderful experience everyone should have at least once in their life. Unfortunately, just like with most things in life, there is a “catch”: the risks and drawbacks associated with living in an apartment. High rent, expensive lifestyle, aid and sound pollution, the ever-crowded streets – it's a hassle to find a moment's peace. Add the constant risk of a break-in occurring any second and you'll get the bigger picture.

Big City Life Risks

Living in a neighborhood with high property crime and homicide rates is not easy to cope with. Crimes have gone up 72% compared to the previous year while shooting incidents have spiked 88%. Burglaries and small thefts are also on the rise and if you plan on continuing to live your life in the city, you should take some precaution measures straight away. Living in a high rise apartment with dozens of other tenants can be dangerous as anyone can get access to your apartment more easily. You most likely cannot personally recognize all your neighbors, and the same goes for them. In other words, a potential burglar could easily walk in and try to tamper with your lock in a casual way so they would not draw any attention on them and chances are no one would bother to check if they are the rightful owners. Plus, poorly lit hallways and corridors are excellent grounds for crooks to do their “job” without interference. It can be difficult to make the distinction between visitors, family members, service providers or simple guests coming over, which is why no one tends to pay any real attention to the foot traffic inside a huge apartment building.

Another problem with high rise buildings comes from the fact that anyone can buzz in a burglar without even knowing it, given the uninterrupted traffic. An apartment building that does not have a high-security access control system in place or at least a commercial-grade lock on the main entryway is more likely to be visited by property criminals and intruders. Surveillance cameras installed above the main entryway into the building are also good burglar deterrents. It is important to figure out the best security solutions and work out a plan together with all apartment owners, or at least with the ones you share the same floor.

Idea Apartment Security Solutions For Enhanced Protection

Our long experience working with residential clients living in apartment buildings has taught us that there are a few security matters that should be immediately handled:

Apartment Security Matters

Your apartment is, of, course your oasis of tranquillity and the place you should be able to feel more safe and comfortable in. do that by having a licensed locksmith assess the current lock on your front door and have it re-keyed or replaced with a better brand. Old apartment buildings tend to have obsolete lock mechanisms that are faulty, tend to get stuck or put your home in jeopardy altogether. With so many top alternatives on the market, ranging from classic brass locks and keys with superior security features that have passed the most demanding safety tests in the industry, it is easy to find a new lock for your apartment. If you know nothing about locks and alarm systems, a good lock technician can assist you with these decisions.

Electronic locks you can manage with a keypad and access card, smart locks that can be controlled via smartphones from remote distances and other similar gadgets could all find their place into your home. It all depends on how tech-savvy you are or how willing you are to step into the future. There are smart peepholes and doorbells you could install and have conversations with the person at the door while you are at work or away on vacation.

Beef Up Security On The Building

Keeping potential intruders outside your apartment buildings translates to a significantly lower risk of your own apartment falling victim to a burglar in town. If your apartment building does not have a 24/7 doorman, it might be time to consider hiring one. Secondly, make sure you hire a locksmith service that can install a sturdy lock on the entrance and cut sufficient spare keys to fit all the owners and tenants. Any lock problem should be immediately taken care of to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the vulnerable door leading to all apartments in the building. Have an intercom system installed if you do not already have one and make sure you never buzz in someone you do not know. See that the intercom is connected to the monitoring cameras at the front door of the building so you can always see who is at the door. The smallest act of ignorance could easily lead to tragedy. Make sure you have panic doors and panic bars in place so you can do an emergency exit whenever necessary.

Focus On Floor Security

For more peace of mind and protection of everyone living on your floor, you should talk to the building supervisor and have them install proper lighting sources in the corridor, along with rotating surveillance cameras that can capture anyone passing by. Again, make sure there are working push bars on the fire escape.

Get in touch with us and let us introduce you to the entire array of locksmith services we can provide your apartment with and don't sleep another night in a vulnerable home!