There’s something exciting about moving into a new apartment. Not only do you get to redo your living space, but you get to explore a whole new neighbourhood. Whenever you move into a new building, it is important to take note of the security features.
While most apartment buildings already have communal security features like CCTV cameras in the hallways, it is essential to safeguard your apartment from burglars. In this article, we’ll give you 7 simple tips to increase your apartment security.
- Invest in smart home security
Smart home security features like motion-activated cameras and alarm kits are getting increasingly cheaper. Most smart home security equipment is also wireless, which means that you don’t need to get your landlord’s permission before installing them in the apartment. Once you connect the system to the WiFi, you can monitor your apartment whenever you’re away and stay in the loop.
- Use deadbolts
Your new apartment may not have the strongest doors. Setting up a new door may be too expensive. In this case, speak to your owner and install a sturdy deadbolt on your door. If you notice that the apartment doesn’t have a deadbolt during the viewing, make sure that you discuss this with the landlord before signing the contract.
The owners of Prahran Locksmith Company are all in favour of deadbolts – “Deadbolts are notoriously difficult to break into. However, change your deadbolt if you’ve just moved in to make sure that old tenants can’t get in with their keys.”
- Use dowels on windows and sliding doors
Aside from keeping the window locked when you’re away (even if you’re on the first floor), place a dowel against the windowsill and the top of your window so that burglars can’t slide them open.
If you have sliding doors, place a dowel into the track of the door so that the pane doesn’t slide across it. You can also apply security film to the inside of the glass to reinforce it.
- Keep at least one light on
When you’re away, leave at least one light on to give the impression that someone is home. A dark apartment is easy to spot especially when surrounded by other well-lit ones. A reading lamp next to the window will do the trick to give the impression that someone is home.
- Follow buzz-in rules
When you live in a shared building, security is a communal responsibility. Buzz in only the people you know and trust. When someone rings the doorbell, verify their identity before you let them in.
This also applies when you enter the building. If you find someone lurking by the door who wants to be let in with you, ask them which apartment they want to enter, and buzz it in so the tenants can confirm their identity before you let them in.
- Use a peephole
Most apartment doors already come with a peephole. In case yours doesn’t, speak to your landlord to get one installed for your front door. Most peepholes are not too expensive, and a professional can quickly install them for you.
Even if not everyone follows the buzz-in rules in your building, you can vet people through your peephole. Never open the door without verifying someone’s identity. You could also get a chain lock for an added layer of security.
7 .Get a safe
Be it for jewelry, documents, or some spare cash, find a good safe to safeguard expensive items. Since you live in an apartment, it might be best to purchase a portable home safe that is not too heavy.
Additionally, measure the area of the space you want to keep the safe in and buy one that is certain to fit. If you want to keep the safe on a shelf, ensure that the shelf can take the weight of both the safe and what you want to put in it.
The Bottom Line
In addition to these tips, get to know your neighbours so that they can keep an eye on your place when you’re gone. You might also want to get sturdy, opaque blinds so burglars don’t get an easy line of sight into your home. Making your apartment safer to live in is the first thing you should do when you move in. Meanwhile, don’t forget renters’ insurance!
