When you live in a condominium, you may not pay the same attention to security as you would if you were living in a house. This is especially true if you are in a high-rise condominium.
However, condo security is important. The fact that you may have a security desk or an entry phone system – combined with the fact that your unit may be located on a high floor – might be enough to make you feel as though you don’t need to be concerned with security at all. Unfortunately, that’s not true.
You can still be a victim of crime when you live in a condominium. The threats are different than in a standard house and so the precautions that you take will also need to be different. Here are a few tips for condo security.
What to Look for in Condo Security
One of the best things you can do is to investigate the condo security features that are in place before you move in. You do not want to move into a condo – either new or resale – that has weak security. Some buildings feel that security is less important in a condo than in a house, but this is certainly not true. If you already live in a condominium, you may wish to speak with your building’s superintendent, property management office or security team. Knowing which security features your building has and finding out exactly how your condo keeps you safe is incredibly important.The main entry point to a condominium is obviously the front door. However, your building could also have alternate entry points such as side and rear doors or garage doors. All of these doors should be secured, not just the front door. It should be impossible to get into your building without being noticed. If your building has a security guard or concierge at the front door, find out how he or she monitors the building’s other entrances as well. Many buildings have surveillance cameras that are monitored by building security. This is necessary to keep you safe in a condominium and a big part of condo security.
Many condominiums use high security keys or fobs to enter the building. These are definitely important for condo security and safety as they are difficult to copy. Criminals will have a hard time gaining access to a key fob and even if a criminal steals or finds your key fob, you can report it to your building and have the fob deactivated immediately. A standard key does not offer the same type of security.
Protecting Residents: A Key to Condo Security
You will also want to look into the kind of condo security technology that your building uses on its doors. Investigate the security on the door to your suite and on all other doors in the building. Pay special attention storage room doors and exterior doors. Doors should lock with a strong deadbolt and suite doors can have doorknob covers installed to prevent smashing and tampering. You may also want to find a condominium that has a “full-length astragal” installed on exterior doors. This is a security plate that makes it more difficult for burglars to pry open your door and is a key condo security tool.Lighting is also very important, both inside the building and around the exterior of the building. Criminals like to work in the dark where they can avoid being seen and where they can use the element of surprise to attack. A well-lit building will keep you safe. Think of this when you are analyzing the condo security at condominium building.