Tips On How To Make Your Apartment Safer and Improve Security

Apartment dwellers are often seen as a soft target for burglars. They often don’t invest in security cameras or other home security measures.

But there are many things that you can do to make your apartment safer and improve security. Use these tips to secure your apartment from intruders.

They can provide you some peace of mind and a better apartment living experience.

To stay as safe as possible, follow these tips for living alone in an apartment:

• Check out the area’s safety and the complex’s security before you sign a lease
• Get a second lock installed if you don’t already have one
• Invest in a security system and security cameras made for apartments
• Befriend your neighbors so they’ll look out for your property when you’re not home
• Have an exit strategy ready for a worst-case scenario

In this article, we’ll review some common sense tips and products on how to secure your apartment so that you can feel as safe as possible.

1. Assess The Apartment Building and Neighborhood

If you are looking at several apartment complexes I would recommend to visit the area where the apartment buildings are several times, especially at night time.

As a prospective tenant, you want to be aware of the safety and quality levels of your future new place to ensure that it’s a good place to move to.

Follow these safety tips…

• Keep an eye out for suspicious activity.
• Does it seem as if any of them may be armed with a weapon?
• Is there a lot of police activity in the area?
• Are there lots of groups of people congregating in the common areas?
• What kind of apartment security system is the complex using?
• Is there enough light in the parking lot or parking garage?

Another great way to get information about your potentially new neighborhood is to check out the crime statistics in the neighborhood. Here are 4 resources to research.

• CityProtect
• AreaVibes
• FamilyWatchDog
• NextDoor

It also would not be a bad idea to contact the police departments in the areas you are considering to move to and speak to them about the community and what they may recommend as far as safety measures that you can take.

2. How Can I Make My Apartment Door More Secure?

When securing your apartment, you must give the doors most of your attention. After all, besides your windows, your doors are one of the most targeted areas for break-ins.

Here’s how you can fortify your apartment doors so you can sleep more soundly at night:

Change The Original Locks

It’s no secret that the basic apartment door lock that was there when you signed the lease paperwork is adequate at best.

Double-check this with your landlord, but you should be able to replace the original door lock with a good deadbolt lock that should be more secure. 

If you have a spare key for your new lock, make sure you don’t store it under the outdoor mat or somewhere else obvious. This gives criminals a free pass into your apartment. 

Add A Second Lock

Many apartment doors have space for a second lock, but they don’t always include one.

Some renters are fine with just the one lock, but nothing is stopping you from adding a second lock. (Although, once again, we’d encourage you to check with your landlord first). 

There’s a good reason to get a second lock – even if a criminal managed to crack your first lock, they’d still have to get through a second one.

This takes up a lot of precious time, which burglars do not want to invest. Also, you’ll hopefully hear all the activity at your door, which gives you additional time to call the police. 

If You Don’t Already Have One, Get a Chain Lock 

A chain lock is also very useful for apartment dwellers, especially those that live on the first floor.

Let’s say that you forgot to lock the door or a criminal cracked your lock. The chain prevents your front door from opening all the way, blocking access in the short term. 

It may not stop the burglar from entering, but it will slow them down and will hopefully deter them.

Fortify Your Door Frames

You probably never gave a second thought to beefing up your door frame as a security measure.

Truth is – many men are able to simply kick in a door which would loosen it at the hinges.

So, even though the door is locked – it can still be broken into. That’s where adding a door reinforcement set like this one from Door Armor Max can come in handy.

Here are 6 other tips and products that you can use to beef up your apartment doors.

You’ll certainly have to check with the landlord or apartment manager before you do this.

Glass Pane Doors

Some apartments have french doors with glass panes in them going out to the porch and just like your sliding glass doors – they can easily be broken into.

One thing you can do is to add window security film like this to those glass panes.

It simply keeps the glass from shattering and makes it just a little more difficult for someone to break in.

Don’t Forget Your Sliding Doors

Does your apartment have a sliding glass door? Many do. You need to secure these glass doors too, as they’re incredibly vulnerable.

Many homeowners don’t realize that what they might consider to be an adequate barrier to protect their families and possessions is “just a piece of glass” waiting to be shattered, said Orlando Police Department Cpl. Kevlon Kirkpatrick.

OrlandoSentinel.com

First, get a lock for your sliding doors, like this one from HauSun. It resists 1,000 pounds of force and works on vinyl, wood, or aluminum frames.

A lock like this is “cheap insurance” and you can choose whether to install it on the bottom or top of the sliding door track.

An alternative or in addition to adding secure locks on the track is to also use a security bar that fits across the middle of the sliding door.

This type of security bar is a visual deterrent, as well as a physical one. Thieves will see it and know they won’t have an easy time of getting into your apartment.

Having the bar across the middle of the door also means you won’t have to stretch up to unlock a top-track lock or bend down all the time to unlock one on the bottom slider track.

Next, if you don’t already have one, we’d recommend a dowel of sorts that you can put on the tracks between the two doors.

The dowel acts as a failsafe if the lock is broken, as the doors shouldn’t slide if the dowel is in place.

Some people use something as simple a broom handle in the track. Or you can use something more high tech, like a security bar.

The Brinks Commercial Door Security Bar is an adjustable, heavy duty steel tube that is completely portable so you can take it with you if you move.

Bonus Safety Tip: If you’re like me – every thump in the night used to wake me up so I added multiple “alarms” throughout my home.

One of them is a door stop alarm like this one. I place it by my door at night and if the door were to be opened – it would hit this door stopper and produce a loud 120 decibal alarm.

3. What Is The Best Security System For An Apartment?

One of the best ways to keep your home secure is to install a security system. Better yet, one with security cameras or video cameras.

The problem though is that so many of these systems are made for homeowners, not apartment renters.

You can’t necessarily drill holes, work with wires, or mount equipment in your apartment since you don’t own it. What are your options?

SimpliSafe is one of the most renowned wireless security systems for apartments. I have one of these systems and I love it.

It’s is super easy to install (I did it myself in less than half an hour). There’s no need to mount or drill anything so your rental deposit is safe, too.

SimpliSafe includes a Base Station you plug in. Then, put the sensors – which also come with your purchase – where you want them. The setup is as simple as that.

An accompanying app lets you monitor your apartment from your phone even when you’re not at home.

You can also use SimpliSafe on your computer or tablet, choosing who gains access and checking alerts throughout the day.

Speaking of alerts, this security system will inform you if the window or door is open, as well as whether you did it accidentally or a bad guy did it intentionally.

SimpliSafe even knows which window or door was tampered with.

The sensors are smart in that if you drop a glass, SimpliSafe is aware that’s not the same sound as someone shattering your window or glass sliding door.

The sensors can also differentiate between people and pets so your dog doesn’t trip the alarm. 

And if your landlord will allow you to install a new doorbell – Simplisafe has one of the best video doorbells on the market.

4. Get To Know Your Neighbors

Although many apartment dwellers may complain about their neighbors, the truth is that they may end up helping you and maybe even saving your life or your valuables from potential burglars.

It really is a good idea to befriend your neighbors.

Ideally, you want to get to the point where you can trust one or two of them enough to hold on to some extra keys to your apartment (and vice versa too).

5. Have An Escape Plan

Most apartments don’t have a back door to use in case an intruder breaks in through the front door but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have an escape plan in place.

By the way, an “escape plan” also includes a plan on how to protect yourself from an intruder or a natural disaster or a fire.

Here are some tips on how to accomplish that.

• Have something in every room of your home that you can use as a weapon. It could be pepper spray, a stun gun, a knife, anything.
• If your apartment is on any level above the first floor, make sure to have a fire escape ladder handy.
• Make the investment and buy a fire extinguisher. Here is information on what size and type to buy.
• Be familiar with the fire escape plan in your apartment building. You should be able to get that from your landlord or apartment manager.
• If you live with others have a spot down the street where you all would meet up in case you had to get away from the apartment separately.
• Plan out how you could escape from each room of your apartment.
• Wearing a “panic button” type of device like Invisawear can be extremely useful as it will alert others that you are in danger or need of help.

What Can I Do If I Feel Unsafe In My Apartment?

Let’s say you bought a security system for your apartment after reading this post. One day, a criminal arrives on the property and tries to get in, but the security system wards them off.

Still, you can’t help but think how close you were to being burglarized or maybe even worse. It’s hard for you to sleep and you certainly don’t feel safe in your apartment anymore. 

Here’s what we recommend you do when in this worrisome situation.

Talk To Your Landlord

Your landlord or property manager should be made aware of the attempted robbery if they don’t already know about it.

While you’re having that conversation, tell them point-blank that you don’t feel safe in your apartment anymore.

Hopefully, your landlord will decide to beef up the security around the building through cameras, motion-sensor lights, or new locks for residents. 

File A Police Report

If a near-crime or an actual crime did occur, you should contact the police. You can call them to the apartment after the incident or visit your local police building to file a report.

Even if the cops fail to catch the attempted burglar, they’re now aware that something has transpired around your area.

They may keep a lookout at your apartment complex going forward. 

Stay Somewhere Else For A While

Living alone can be tough, especially when you add safety threats to the mix.

For a little while, it might not hurt to stay with family or friends, especially while you sort out your feelings about the attempted burglary (or actual burglary). 

Move Out 

Eventually, you will have to come back home. If enough time has passed that you feel safe living at the apartment on your own, then great!

However, should weeks or even months go by and the unsafe feeling doesn’t subside, then it might be time to consider an alternate living arrangement.

Can you break your lease if you feel unsafe in your apartment? That’s a million-dollar question.

I’d recommend asking your landlord about negotiating to cut the lease short rather than just upping and leaving.

The latter could come back to bite you when you try to get a new apartment or even buy a home. 

Is It Better To Live On The Top Floor Of An Apartment?

From a personal point-of-view, you may want an upper-floor apartment since the views are better.

Also, you won’t necessarily hear people walking on the ceiling above you like you do when you live on the ground floor of a building.

What about from a safety perspective? Is an upper level apartment better than one on the ground level?

As I reported in my article, Is A First Flor Apartment Safe? , experts say that the higher up in the building you are, the safer you are.

Criminals want easy break-ins and street level apartments don’t require them to climb a fire escape, ride an elevator, or ascend flights of stairs to reach your belongings. 

That doesn’t mean you should get careless if your apartment is on a higher floor, though. Break-ins can still occur, they’re just somewhat less likely. 

Conclusion 

Having a safe and secure place to call home is an important part of living.

That’s why I wanted to share these helpful tips on how you can make your apartment safer, improve security, and feel more at ease in your living space.

I hope that these ideas will help you create the right environment for yourself that feels both comfortable and protected from any threats outside or within.

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