Does safety come first (or at least in the top five) on your must-have list when searching for an apartment? If not, it should! After all, you can’t feel completely “at home” if you feel unsafe in your apartment, right?
Apartments.com makes it easy to search for the security amenities you’re looking for. Simply type in and search your desired location on the homepage, click “Filter,” scroll to the bottom, and search for the amenities you’re interested in under “Keyword Search,” such as “security system” or “gated community”.
Let’s refrain from over-doing it by hiring a personal bodyguard and stick to some obtainable amenity possibilities, shall we? Unsure of what you’re looking for when it comes to security-based amenities? No problem. Let’s discuss a few options that are guaranteed to make you feel more secure in your next apartment:
Gated Community
Let’s face it: we don’t want just anyone pulling into our apartment complex with access to any and everything. If you want to feel secure in knowing that only residents and guests of residents can access your apartment building, then a gated community is probably an important amenity to put on your list.
Whether non-residents are using your apartment for parking to get to a nearby location where parking is scarce or expensive, or they’re potentially planning sketchy activities that could cause damage to your apartment or vehicle, it infringes upon your safety (or is simply annoying). After all, it’s very frustrating to come home only to find that your favorite parking spot right in front of your unit is taken by “visitors”. Avoid these shenanigans by putting “gated community” on your apartment search list.
Parking
What’s even better than parking in a gated community, you ask? Having a covered parking deck that requires some form of access card, code, or key fob to enter. Not only does covered parking secure your vehicle from break-ins or potential damage from others, but it’s protected from the weather as well.
No one likes getting into their car after it’s been sitting in the scorching sun all day in the summer. And it’s never fun to use some sort of kitchen utensil (most likely a spatula) to defrost your windshield on a winter morning when you’re late for work.
Not all apartments have covered parking decks, but it’s worth a shot searching for this highly sought-after amenity. Other apartment communities offer individual parking garages, which can also be helpful for safety concerns and for protecting your car from any potential damage.
Keyless Entry
Many renters are cracking down on their desired security amenities in apartments. And lucky for you, many apartment communities, complexes, etc. have listened to these concerns and granted security amenities like keyless entry. Whether getting into the pool, fitness center, mailroom, entry, or the unit itself, it’s nice that only people with the right credentials can get in.
Apartments require access cards, key fobs, or codes in order to enter these locations, and that’s a huge perk for those concerned with safety. Some renters also prefer a keypad on their apartment door rather than using a physical key. That way, if they lose their key, they won’t have to worry about someone having access to their apartment or getting their locks changed. Avoid the hassle and consider these amenities when searching for an apartment.
Motion Sensor Lights
It’s nice to have lights around the community, but you don’t necessarily want them shining through your window all night. But it sure would be nice to know when someone is walking (or creeping) around your building, window, or apartment in general. Safety first!
Bad things tend to happen after dark, since crooks don’t typically commit crimes in broad daylight, such as breaking and entering. So why not have motion sensor lights around the apartment community? It’s better to have a lighted area than a dim one!
Security Alarm
It may seem like overkill if you have other security amenities like a gated entry/exit and keyless entry points, but having a security alarm in your apartment is always helpful for safety concerns. After all, those amenities keep you safe in your community, but an alarm is a fool-proof way to make sure there are no sneaky break-ins in your apartment.
It’s important to know that you, your roommates, or your pets are safe in your apartment, and that your belongings are secure when you’re at work or away from home! Security alarms are a nifty amenity offered by many apartment communities, so the search shouldn’t be too difficult.
Do what you can to feel as safe as possible in your apartment, and keep these security amenities in mind during the search for your next home!
