When you live in an apartment building or complex of apartments it is important to consider that every tenant plays a role in the security of the building. There are important apartment security measures that everyone must consider. Although your landlord or the building manager is responsible for installing a security system for your building, the area of weakness with these systems is the human interface which could allow for error. Even the strongest security system can be breached, but the best way for a burglar to get by a security system in a building is by conning one of the tenants into opening the door for them.
You should never let anyone in the building if you don’t know who they are. Many times a burglar will try to impersonate a service or repairman to gain access to an apartment building. Never let someone in on the claim that they forgot their key or pass code. If someone claims to be a repairman for another apartment, refer them to the apartment manager or the other apartment. Sometimes people will be persistent and pressure you into letting them in. The best thing to do in these situations is call your landlord or the police. Although it is every tenants’ job to make sure that nobody can gain unauthorized access to your building, you cannot simply rely on other people not to make mistakes or poor judgment. Making sure not to let anybody you don’t know in the building is the first step you can take to ensure your safety and security, however you can’t be sure someone else won’t let inadvertently let burglars in. Some important apartment security measures are:
- Keep your door locked, even when you are home
- Never open your apartment door to strangers
- Always verify the identity of a visitor through the peephole
Shockingly, most home invasions occur by the criminal entering through the front door. When we are at home and we hear a knock at the door, our first instinct is to simply open up to speak with whoever is there. However, it is important to know that you can’t always be sure who is on the other side of the door, even if they say who they are. The best thing to do is never open the door until you are certain you know who is on the other side. Asking for identification is important. Have someone show you their credentials through the peephole on your door. Secondly you should ask for a phone number to verify they are scheduled to service your apartment or building. It is important to know that most service for cable, phone service and other utilities can be done from outside the house, and you should always question the reason a service or repairman needs to access your apartment. Typically, you should know about any service or repairs that need to be done in your own place of residence. If there are problems that you might not be aware of, your landlord or superintendant should be the one to let you know about any upcoming service calls.
