Honeywell Ademco

Apartment Tenants as Crime Targets

Did you know that apartment dwellers, according to some studies, are approximately 85% more likely to be the victim of a burglary than traditional homeowners?   Why is that and how do I protect myself? 

 

There are a number of reasons why apartments are good targets for burglaries and other crimes.  Here are some:

 

Lack of exterior control and landlord indifference:

 

In a traditional home, the homeowner has the complete control over the design of his or her security system.  Not only can they take measures to reduce their vulnerability by removing exterior obstacles to their safety, but they can install every security system device they choose.

 

In an apartment complex, a tenant has only limited control over their safety.  For example, it is well known in security circles that criminals looking to invade a home generally focus on homes with visual obstructions that interfere with a neighbor’s ability to observe the crime.  Natural cover provided by clustered trees and shrubbery are invitations to a burglar to enter in the shrouded area.  Lack of night time lighting provides criminals the best protection against detection.

 

In a traditional home, a homeowner can trim or remove some of the natural cover and they can freely add security lighting at every vulnerable entry point. Apartment dwellers, on the other hand, have no ability to protect the exterior of their home.  They are at the mercy of their landlord to address those issues and the landlords in most States have no financial incentive to do so.

 

The laws of most Sates, surprisingly, protect landlords from liability claims for burglary and violent crimes committed against their tenants by criminals.  Unless a landlord is actually aware of the likelihood of a crime being committed, they are not deemed negligent by their failure to address security issues.  The laws deem criminal acts “unforeseeable”, and as such, landlords have no legal duty to provide security measures to protect tenants against criminal acts of third parties.

 

As a consequence of being protected from claims for money damages, landlords often refuse to spend their money to provide security measures in their complex.  In addition, most lease agreements specifically contain provisions requiring tenants to carry their own insurance coverage and disclaiming any landlord liability for losses and damages occurring in your apartment.  This also demonstrates an intent to avoid financial obligations in the event of a crime.  Lack of financial responsibility breeds indifference.

 

Lack of  Suspicion

 

Why are apartments attractive targets for crime?  Because an apartment complex is like a shopping center for criminals.  Whereas traditional homes have very limited visitor traffic and an even more limited number of individuals with proper access to the home, apartment complexes have an infinite amount of visitor traffic making the circumstance of a visit less conspicuous.  For example, if a stranger walks up to a traditional home while the family is gone, he is more likely to be viewed suspiciously if he lingers for more than a few moments.  On the other hand, a criminal can easily enter an apartment building, (not your particular unit), and spend as much time as he wants without being seen by others.

 

If a criminal pulls his car into a driveway of a home he is easily detected.  If he parks down the block and walks up to the home, he looks suspicious.  In an apartment complex, visitors typically park away from the units and their presence walking into a building isn’t the least bit unusual.

 

Once in the typical apartment building, which is often unlocked for convenient access, the criminal has a variety of units to choose from.  There are never windows providing other tenants a view of visitors in the building and there are numerous units available for illegal entry.  In most apartments, there are entry and exit doors into both sides of the building, providing criminals a choice of entry or exit without easy detection.  At the rear of many apartment buildings there are bricked privacy walls which greatly reduce the likelihood of visual detection.

 

Use of a Security System in an Apartment

 

Even though your landlord might be indifferent to your safety, you can and should consider a Security System for your apartment.  Despite your concern that your lease prohibits alteration of your apartment unit without permission, you can usually install a “wireless” alarm system in your apartment without consequence, (view the author’s article on this subject at www.watchdogsuperstore.com/articles…).

 

A Wireless Security System is the most logical and best solution for home security in an apartment.  These systems are typically sold in complete kits which include all of the basic components needed to protect the premises.  These components include a control panel, (considered the “brains” of the system), a built in keypad to program and operate the system and the window and door “contacts” along with motion detectors.  For very little extra cost, additional sensors such as smoke detectors and glassbreak sensors can be added.  More importantly, these systems are easy and painless to install.

 

Central Monitoring services can also be purchased for apartments just the same as traditional homes and are available for as little as $8.95 per month without a long term contract.  Central monitoring is a service that receives a telephone signal from your alarm system when it is triggered.  Upon receipt of the signal, (whether it is a fire, burglary or emergency medical signal), the monitoring company immediately tries to reach you by telephone and if unsuccessful a live telephone call is immediately placed by the monitoring company to the emergency agency registered on the system, e.g. Police, Fire or EMS.

 

It is just as important for apartment dwellers to protect their family and property as traditional homeowners.  In fact, it is even more important given the added risks posed by apartment complexes.  For more information on how to select a wireless security system for your apartment, your best bet is to contact an online security system store with live support.  They are far less expensive than the large security system companies with which we are all familiar, and no long term, expensive monitoring contract is required.

About the Author

David Zuppke has been a licensed attorney for more than 28 years and the founder of Watchdog Superstore. He has dozens of years of experience in consumer’s protection laws and has a full staff of professional installers and technicians who are available to assist you in the design, purchase and installation questions for your home security systems. Find out more at http://www.watchdogsuperstore.com

my house alarm says “bF check”?

i have honeywell ademco vista 10p alarm and today my alarm made beeping noise and on the screen it appears “bF check”. any clue what that means??

Backup failure.

Don

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