Nowadays many apartments come equipped with some kind of security feature. Many apartment buildings, particularly those in urban areas, have locked outer doors that can only be opened by a digital key fob.
Pricier residences frequently have security professionals onsite, as well as building rules requiring any visitors to be buzzed in. And apartments themselves are commonly equipped with two or more locks – typically a locking door handle as well as a deadbolt.
Though these features can help give apartment-dwellers a necessary sense of security in their own homes, they can also divert attention away from less obvious threats to the safety of their home and property. The following are some steps you can take to ensure your apartment is protected from burglary.
Install an Indoor Security Camera
Any potential burglar who knows what he’s doing will check the premises for obvious signs of a security system before breaking and entering. According to one 2012 study, of the 80% of burglars who look for cameras before committing a home invasion, a solid 40% would look elsewhere if they see one.
In other words, a camera is a strong enough deterrent to almost half of the criminals surveyed to make them give up on burglary altogether. Though not a total fail-safe, a camera can substantially increase your home’s immunity to burglary.
Why Nanny Cams are the Better Choice?
One of the biggest advantages of nanny cams over traditional security systems is that they can be connected to your mobile device via an app, allowing you to stream footage from the camera directly to your phone no matter where you are.
That way you can check in on your property at the touch of a button and know it’s secure. Plus, they’re generally affordable to purchase and easy to install but, it is important to know where to install them – considerable assets for those without the budget for a costly alarm system.
Consider a Keyless Deadbolt Lock
Unlike traditional deadbolt locks that work by being turned manually by the user, keyless deadbolt locks rely on inputting a numerical code with a digital keypad or via a phone app remotely.
In addition to eliminating the frustration and hassle of having to keep track of your key – along with the safety concern of hiding a key for a house-sitter or other visitor – many keyless deadbolts can be connected to your home security system.
Many keyless deadbolts are equipped with a feature that will automatically disable the keypad after too many failed attempts.
This way, if someone is attempting to gain entry to your home without your consent, they’ll be prevented from making further efforts. Best of all, they have a battery backup to ensure you can enter your home even in the event of a power outage.
Protect Your Valuables with a Small Home Safe
Safes are commonly associated with the ultra-wealthy, but you don’t need to be a millionaire to recognize the value of having a secure place to store your most prized possessions. A small safe for home use can offer an increased sense of safety when you leave home for long stretches, like for a vacation or a business trip.
In addition to material goods like jewelry, safety deposit box keys, and family heirlooms, many users like to store sensitive documents in their home safes, including passports, social security cards, birth certificates, and other documents containing personal information. In the event that your home is burglarized, you’ll be protected from the possibility of identity theft.
Lock Up Your Firearms in a Bedside Gun Safe
It’s a statistic nobody ever wants to think about: living in a house with a gun puts you at an increased risk of being shot. Though most people who purchase guns do so with the intention of being able to defend their homes, property, and lives, the reality is that an unsecured firearm can easily be turned against its owner.
Plus, if you live in a household with children, failure to lock up your firearms can put your family at an increased risk of accidental injury or death.
In the event that your home is burglarized, the last thing you want to do is give the intruder a weapon they can use against you. A bedside gun safe is a simple, convenient way of ensuring that your firearms are close by when you need them, but that they’re inaccessible to anyone who doesn’t know the numerical code to open it.
Invest in Door and Window Alarms
Many apartment dwellers living above the ground floor feel immune to the risk of burglary. After all, the majority of intruders bother to try to climb through a window – will they? The truth is that some dedicated burglars will attempt to do just that, especially if your window is concealed by trees or other forms of coverage.
– this is probably one of the most popular home security solutions, but also one of the most overlooked. “Is an alarm really necessary?” many wonders. “Does anybody even pay attention to them?”
The answer is yes because nowadays the majority of alarm systems are connected directly to a home security management service. If an alarm is triggered, that service will attempt to notify you before sending the authorities to your home.
Having a direct line to the police – and the fast response time guaranteed by your security management service – means that even in the event of a home invasion, you’ll never have to wait long before help is on the way. Plus, alarms can give parents the added comfort of knowing small children will never be able to freely enter and exit or open a window without them knowing about it.
Guard Your Front Door with a Security Bar
This is another security device so simple that many never even consider getting one. A door security bar is fitted to the entryway of your home, and when it’s engaged it’s impossible to fully open the door from the outside. That way, even if your deadbolt or other front door locks fail, no intruder will be able to gain entry.
The majority of burglaries are committed by people looking for an easy target. The more you complicated the process of gaining entry to your home, the more unappealing it will be to possible intruders.
A door security bar helps make breaking and entering a time-consuming, inefficient process, which in turn increases the likelihood that a burglar will be caught in the act. Plus, it’s one of the least expensive security measures you can take to protect your apartment.
Conclusion
You have numerous options when it comes to safeguarding the security of your apartment. Many have found success and peace of mind by combining several of the strategies discussed here.
There are plenty of considerations when choosing the solutions that are right for you, including your management company’s policies (if you are a renter) or any provisions made by your homeowner’s association (if you own your apartment), as well as the cost, user-friendliness, and more.
A burglary occurs roughly every 13 seconds in the United States. The good news is that it’s easy to protect your home, property, and safety from the risk of a home invasion. We hope this guide has simplified the decision-making process when considering how best to safeguard your apartment.
