3 Tips for Staying Safe in Your Apartment Complex

If you are currently living in an apartment complex or considering moving to one soon, here are a few apartment security tips to remember.

Below are 3 tips for staying safe in your apartment complex:

Dos and Don’ts

Do

• Create impression you are not living alone; write initials on your mailbox, in sentences use the word we instead of I.
• Befriend neighbors who can help you in an emergency.
• Don’t let anyone in the building that you don’t know
• Lock you’re doors and windows at all times especially if you are leaving the apartment for any circumstance and when you go to bed.
• Check to see if last tenant gave back their keys to the building.

Don’t

• Make Duplicates of your apartment key or put the spare in a visible place.
• Give out personal information about yourself, where you live, what you do for work, what your plans are for the day.
• Leave valuables in your car or close to your window where people can see them.
• Leave notes on the door for roommates, neighbors or landlords saying that you are gone or what time you will be back. Source: MyApartmentMap

Survey your Space

Finally, you need to assess the safety of the apartment itself. Take note of the doors and locks. Wood doors are not as secure as steel doors (some wood doors are hollow, and easy to break through). You should also ask if you can change out the locks, or whether the landlord will be doing them on your behalf upon move-in. It’s an extra precaution to make sure that no one with an old key can gain access to your place.
In general, apartments that are above the first floor are safer than ground-floor or garden-level spaces, because it’s more difficult to gain access to windows and balconies. If you end up with a ground-level apartment, it’s better to have windows with security features that are hard for a potential burglar to access. This might include bars over the windows or glass blocks that let light in, but not peeping toms! Source:  ohmyapt.apartmentratings

Install a Reliable Security System

Chain locks offer little protection and cheap locks can be disabled easily. If the apartment does not have a good deadbolt lock on the door, ask permission of the apartment manager to put one on the door. Do be certain that the management has a key if they need to gain access into your apartment.
Never leave your apartment door unlocked. This includes when you leave to get the mail or take out the trash. Someone lurking in the breezeway could gain access quickly.
Most apartment complexes have peepholes already installed on the door. If not, ask if you can install one for your added safety. Source: StreetDirectory

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