How to Optimize the Security at Residential Apartments

Residents of apartment and condo buildings need to place the utmost importance on security to keep people and property safe. However, many property managers and homeowners associations (HOAs) try to reduce costs which has an adverse impact on security. High-traffic buildings need to be aware of this drawback and their management associations should allocate adequate funds to ensure proper security.

Challenges of Managing Multi-Unit Buildings

Apartment and condo buildings have unique security needs. They have a constant flow of residents, delivery personnel, visitors, mail carriers, domestic help, repair people, and others. Plus, there are multiple common areas and entry points such as delivery areas, elevators, gates, garages, and parking lots. Upscale complexes attract the attention of thieves and criminals, and need state-of-the-art protection.

Invest in a Visitor Sign-in System

Your building can start by installing a quality visitor management system to streamline the flow of visitors and guests. The visitor check-in system can help to enhance security while making the sign-in process faster and more convenient for guests. It includes a gatepass management system that ensures only authorized visitors get access to your complex and their apartment destination.

Install Cameras for Surveillance

Next, place surveillance cameras in common areas, entrances, exits, and other places where there may be risks. Your security staff needs to constantly monitor these cameras’ feeds to ensure round the clock security.

Read on to learn other effective tips and best practices to improve security at your high-traffic complex:

Implement Smart Policies

It is vital to establish a cooperative security culture at residential buildings. These places have a steady stream of residents, guests, and visitors, with some being temporary stayers and other renters. Therefore, it’s impossible for residents to personally know all the people who live there. For this reason, it’s wise not to open locked doors for unknown people or invite new residents to your apartment. This may seem impolite but such stringent security policies need to be followed to ensure protection.

Handling Landscaping

Condo board members and property managers should focus on taking adequate care of landscaping. Neglecting this area could put security at risk. Ensure the shrubs are less than 3 feet tall to minimize hiding places. Select plants with thorns to make use of natural defenses. During evenings and nights, ensure common areas are brightly lit and that there are no shadows where criminals could hide.

Access Control Cards

A visitor sign-in system can also provide advanced technology devices like access control cards. Residents are given a security card that they can swipe to enter secure common areas and the building. This swipe produces a digital record of who’s going and coming, and also presents a real-time log of people on the premises at any point of time.
If a resident loses a card, it can be disabled easily and a fresh one can be issued. Further, with an access control system, security staff can automatically cancel the cards of tenants and renters who leave the building permanently. This saves the tasks of tracking down keys and changing locks. Further, you can integrate remotely tracked video surveillance with the access control system to give access only to authorized guests and visitors so that intruders can be identified and expelled swiftly.

Remote Access System for Deliveries

With online shopping becoming popular, package delivery is creating a lot of traffic at apartment and condo complexes. Your building can invest in a remote access solution for package management that enables security staff to manage package or vendor deliveries by remotely giving access to a secure package room that is also tracked by remote employees round the clock. The software can help to separate residential traffic from delivery traffic to ease access and improve security for residents.

Utilize Motion Detectors

You can use motion detectors in tandem with lights and cameras. These devices get activated by motion and automatically alert monitoring staff so they can focus on the camera images and respond quickly by taking action like dispatching personnel to the concerned site or warning intruders remotely via speakers located in the vicinity.

Other Points to Note

The above-mentioned security systems and services can help to exponentially enhance the effectiveness of your building’s security staff. With remote monitoring solutions, you can expand security by tracking amenity spaces like pools, roof decks, and gyms round the clock to ensure they are used only by residents.

About piLOBI

piLOBI is an advanced visitor management system that you can invest in for your building to make sure guests and visitors are processed securely and quickly. It’s an integrated and comprehensive visitor check-in system that is designed for the specific requirements of apartment and condo buildings. The platform offers a gatepass management system that enables security staff to provide passes and badges to visitors to grant access to only authorized guests and keep out intruders and criminals.