8 Apartment Safety and Security Tips For Renters
As an apartment renter, your safety and security concerns are somewhat unique. This is why extra precautions and security measures must be considered to make sure that you, your family and even your personal belongings are safe at all times.
Below are some apartment security tips and guides than can surely help in making your life as an apartment renter more secure and less troublesome.
BEFORE YOU MOVE IN
Know the local crime
Check the local crime data and statistics in your chosen area. Ask the local police and even your future neighbors about the status of the community as a whole. If theft and burglary cases are quite high, you should rethink about renting an apartment in this neighborhood.
Test the exterior lights
Criminals love to sneak around in dark and poorly-lit areas. Make sure that the apartment unit you chose has enough light in each and every corner so intruders won’t have any place to hide. If you think the light is not enough, ask your landlord to add or install more. You can also invest in your own motion sensor lights that you can install near your apartment doors.
Observe the general up keep
Look around and check the overall status of the apartment complex. Broken windows and cracked walls are often a big sign of the lack of concern (for the property and for the people renting on it) of the landlord. If basic maintenance is not being observed, consider picking another apartment to rent.
Get new door locks
Make sure to replace the door locks with new ones before you move in. Sometimes, landlords or apartment manages will just rotate their apartment locks leaving a big loophole in your security. You never know how many key duplicates has been made or gone missing. So just to be sure, ask for new door locks or invest one on your own.
AFTER YOU MOVE IN
Buy additional locks
Adding a deadbolt and chain lock in your doors can add extra layer of security in your apartment. Experts also highly recommend installing a peephole. This way, you can freely talk or see the people at the other side of the door without fully opening the entrance to your rented home.
Use quality blinds
Install blinds that completely blocks people from the outside in seeing what’s inside your home. This way, they won’t have any idea on what kind of valuable stuff you have or if there’s no one around in your apartment. This will deter burglars most of the time.
Install security system
The security system of today is more renter friendly than before. They are now easier to use and won’t cost an arm and leg to install one on your rented home. Having a security system placed will deter any criminals in entering your abode.
Get renters insurance
Renters insurance can help cover up the amount you lost when something despicable happens to your rented apartment. Getting renters insurance is a must especially if you live in a high crime rate area or in areas where natural calamities and disasters regularly happens. Just ask your landlord about it and try to get one as soon as you move in.
For more tips and advice, you can visit Apartments for Rent in Michigan blog or Houses For Rent In Michigan blog.
