Keep Safe and Secure in Your New Apartment
Living in an apartment building certainly has its advantages. The idea of no longer having to do yard work is appealing to most guys. Having access-controlled entry into the building might be most appealing to a single female living alone. Whatever your reason is for choosing to move into an apartment, you have likely given it some serious consideration. Now that you have decided to move into an apartment, we feel as though it is our obligation to make sure you know what you can do to help protect yourself and your home. You may think it is safer to live in an apartment than a house. This is not true. There are still ways that person can experience a home invasion. At Dunwoody GA Locksmith, we offer some useful things you can do to help you remain safe and avoid a break-in.
To Do……Before Moving In
- Have Locks Replaced
When we say have locks replaced, we mean have them replaced with completely new locks. Some landlords will move locks around instead of replacing existing locks with a new lock. The problem with this is that there is still someone out there who has a key to the lock that is placed on your door. You could take matters into your own hands by purchasing your own lock and asking how you can have it installed. This ensures that you know for certain that there is a new lock on your door.
- Have a Peephole Installed
While most apartments have a peephole, there are still some that do not. A peephole is something that you get accustomed to when you live in an apartment. Even most home doors have a peephole to alert the tenants of the property of who is arriving at their door. If you’re not expecting someone, it helps to quickly identify exactly who you are opening or not opening your door to. If you notice that there is no peephole on your apartment, ask management how you can have one installed.
- Make Sure You Have Appropriate Window Coverings
If you like sunlight to stream through your home, you may be reluctant to place anything over your windows. However, having them serves as a protection. When people can see into your home, they are privy to what you have inside. An intruder will more likely take the chance of breaking into a home when they know what they stand to gain. Don’t give anyone the honor of knowing what you have inside your home. Buy window coverings that you cannot see through, even when they are drawn.
- Research Crime in the Area
You might get so excited that you do not even ask about the rate of crime or if there is any crime in the area. The leasing office of an apartment complex isn’t usually going to volunteer this information to you. However, we are here to tell you that this isn’t something that should be overlooked. We encourage you to inquire at the leasing office and to also see if you can get a report from the police department. Another way to find out about the crime in the area is to go online to CrimeReports.com and CrimeMapping.com.
- Property Maintenance
You should definitely take a look around the property to see how well maintained the property is. Check for broken windows, broken light bulbs in parking area, cracked drywall and debris in the parking lot. If you notice that the maintenance department isn’t attending to these basic things, it is highly unlikely that the landlord will concern themselves with the safety of its tenants.
- Pay Attention to Lighting
A burglar doesn’t want to be detected and this is why they will hang around the areas of an apartment building that have the least amount of light. You should check to make sure there is enough lighting in the walkways, mail area, laundry facility, parking lot, elevators and other entrances. If there is not sufficient lighting in these areas, it could pose a threat to your safety and security. It isn’t uncommon for the lights to be out in one area but if they are out in several areas of the building, this is the downfall of the maintenance department of the apartments maintenance department.
To Do……. After Moving In
- Secure Any Sliding Glass Doors
If you have sliding glass doors, do not overlook the need to make sure they are also secure. This might require you to purchase a bar to place over the track or a bar lock to secure the door. Most sliding glass doors come with a latch that only keeps the door closed; it doesn’t secure the door. To make it more difficult for an intruder to compromise the latch, add a lock to any of your sliding glass doors.
- Put Window Coverings Over Your Windows
If you’re living in an apartment without blinds or curtains, do something about this. When you do not have anything over your windows, people can see straight inside your apartment. This is a real problem because you’re letting those on the outside see what they stand to gain if they get inside your apartment. Don’t give others the benefit of knowing what you have inside your home. A burglar is less likely to break-in if they do not know whether or not the risk is worth it. Invest in good blinds or curtains that actually keep others from seeing inside your home.
- Get a deadbolt lock
Just because you already have a lock on your entryway door doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from having another one on your door. Many homeowners place a deadbolt lock on every entryway door in their home. This serves as added protection.
These are all very simply things that you can do before and after you have moved into an apartment to ensure your safety and security. Take the extra steps and you’ll be able to maintain your peace-of-mind in knowing that you have done all that you can to protect yourself.