How Safe is Your Apartment?

Did you know apartments are 85 percent more likely to be burglarized than a house? Although you may not be the owner, you clearly want to protect yourself and your belongings when renting an apartment. Here are a few safety tips to consider when living in an apartment.

Before you move in, go over a few safety features of the apartment. Look at trees and bushes outside windows where burglars could hide and ask for them to be trimmed down if necessary. Make sure the entry area has proper lighting and the front door has a peephole and secure locks. Ask your landlord to rekey or install new locks to ensure that no former tenants have access to the apartment.

Once you move in, make sure to install a chain or latch on the door and put an old broom handle or piece of wood in the track of sliding doors so no one can open it from the outside. Reinforce window locks and latches and put up window treatments that will not allow burglars to look inside and see your valuables.

It is also a good idea to install motion-sensor lights for both the front and back entrances and near your car if you don’t park in a garage. You can also ask your landlord about installing a security system, although only a few security providers, like ADT will install in apartments.

To help protect your valuables in your apartment, engrave them with a special number. Experts recommend your driver’s license number or phone number and take photographs and keep a log of the items stored in a safe place.

Feel safer in the community by getting to know your neighbors; you can be each other’s eyes and ears in the neighborhood. A neighbor that knows you is more likely to assist you in an emergency than one who does not.

Finally, make sure you invest in renter’s insurance; this will help protect you in the case that a burglar does get into your apartment or if there is some type of unforeseen incident like a fire, windstorm or leaky plumbing.
 

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