How to Make Your Apartment More Secure

Apartment living can be very convenient.  You have all the amenities you need, with fewer homeowner hassles.  However, you may need to take extra precautions when it comes to your personal security, since you are not the only person with access to the premises and you may be at a higher risk for either violent crimes or property crimes.  Protecting yourself should always be a top priority.  Here are a few ways that you can make your apartment more secure and feel safer.

Locks and Peepholes

Never open your apartment door to someone you are not expecting.  Be sure that there is a functional peephole in the door, so that you can see who is on the other side before you open the door.  Use a chain-type lock when you are inside, so that the door cannot be forced open on you.  Be sure that your landlord has installed working deadbolt locks on all doors—and use them!

Burglary Prevention

Most apartment burglaries occur during the daytime, when no one is home.  Most burglars gain access to an apartment via an unlocked door or window.  The first thing to remember is to always lock your doors and windows.  However, in addition to locking up tightly with deadbolt locks and never sharing the keys with anyone, you can install some wireless alarms that will emit a loud sound, hopefully deterring the burglar from entering the premises.  Wireless sensors can be installed on all of the windows and doors, without damaging the door or window frames.

Sliding Glass Alarms

Sliding glass doors and sliding windows are easy targets for most burglars. In many apartments, these are in poor repair because of the high usage.   Be sure to always brace these types of entries with an additional rod or bar, or get a sliding glass door alarm that will sound off and alert you or anyone nearby to the presence of an intruder.

Glass Breakage Alarms

Installing an alarm that will alert you in the event that any window glass is broken is a smart idea.  Many burglars will resort to breaking windows if they find that all of the windows and doors are locked, yet they still want to gain entry.  A glass breakage alarm will emit an extremely loud sound if the glass is broken.

Door Stop Alarms

This type of alarm is ideal for any time you are in the apartment, especially when you are alone.  At any time the door is opened, the alarm will be activated by the door stop alarm, and will probably scare off any intruders.