Keep Safe When Renting: Apartment Security Best Practices

Apartment security is about protecting your belongings, but it’s also about peace of mind. Good security is a combination of simple, long-standing best practices and new ideas. Here are some tips on how to keep safe when renting:

The Basics

Smart technology can greatly improve home security, but before revealing how the “Internet of Things” makes its way into rentals, we’ll cover a few home security basics we all should be doing, but many of us fail to do.

If there’s an intercom system in your building, be sure to always use it before you buzz somebody in, and try not to get out of the habit of doing so. Even when you’re expecting someone, it’s best to have a quick check to make sure it’s definitely the right person at the door.

If you’re renting an apartment, it’s likely others in the building are too. This usually means there are lots of people coming in and out of the building quite often, so sometimes it’s a good idea to take note of who follows you inside.

Adding extra locks to your door is a simple, effective, but often overlooked practice. If you have a deadbolt lock, for example, you could also add a swing bar or chain lock for extra security – you’d have to check, though, if you’re allowed to do this.

It’s your right to ask your landlord what their approach to security is before choosing to rent or remind your landlord to keep on top of security while you are renting. If you see any broken windows or damaged locks around the building, don’t hesitate to ask for them to be fixed. Similarly, make sure the landlord fitted brand new locks on your doors when you moved in.

Smart Technology

It’s now possible to make your apartment significantly more secure by using smart tech that sends notifications right to your phone. The technology is affordable, portable, and easy to self-install without the help of a technician. All of those things make it a particularly good option if you’re renting an apartment and don’t have control over the security system for the whole building.

You want to choose a smart tech system for your apartment that can make sure all of your doors and windows are monitored, especially the ones that are accessible from hallways and other public areas. In addition, a setup that includes door and window sensors allows you to get notifications to your phone if any are opened or left ajar.

A good smart security system would also involve cameras and motion sensors, and features such as two-way voice communication to provide additional screening even after someone enters the building.

You can arm or disarm your system remotely using an app on your smartphone, or use geolocation to tell the system when to arm or disarm itself. For example, if it knows you are out, it will be armed and, if it can tell you just pulled into your driveway, it will disarm. A smart key fob will ensure you can still control everything even if your phone dies.

The ability to turn lights on and off no matter how far you are from home is a great feature to add to your apartment security setup. You can purchase wifi-enabled lights to autonomously react to certain situations, like when you arrive home, or when doors or windows are opened.

Finally, smart locks are well worth considering as part of your setup. As with other smart home devices, smart locks can be monitored and controlled from anywhere using your phone. You can also view activity logs, add permanent or temporary users, and customize access schedules.

Perfect for Renters

When considering renting, keep security top of mind for your own safety and protection of your belongings. Choosing a smart security system that will travel with you to your new home is also an important feature to look for. That way, when it’s time to move to a new city or just to another apartment, you can take your smart investment with you.

It’s extremely important to feel safe in your own home. The good news is that, by combining common sense practices with easy to use smart technology, good apartment security can be achieved