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Apartment Building Security: Use Improved Lighting and Smart Technology to Keep Tenants Safe

No matter what size apartment building you own or manage in New York City, keeping tenants safe must be a prime concern. This not only physically protects them, but it protects you from liability as well. Here’s a look at how you can improve apartment building security using lighting, smart technology, and other new home components. Investing in better security now increases safety for all of your building’s occupants, including staff, and it has the added bonus of letting you charge more for rent because you’re offering premium features.

Lighting for Better Security

Photocell fixtures outdoors

You want to make the entire residential area safe for your tenants, and that starts with the exterior of your property. In New York City, it’s extremely common for people to come and go at all hours, including after dark at night and before dawn in the morning. Therefore, you need to make sure their pathway is visible and they are safe from potential predators hiding in the shadows (this also hinders break-ins).

Using photocell fixtures outside is the easiest way to do this. These fixtures use a light sensor to come on automatically when the sun goes down and go off again when the sun rises. You never have to worry about adjusting the timing to account for seasonal changes or the switch back and forth between Daylight Saving Time.

Automatic light switches indoors

Once a tenant is inside the property, you can use automatic light switches to further protect them, without having to run lights unnecessarily. Automatic switches typically use motion detection to turn lights on only when they’re needed, such as when someone enters a laundry room, storage area, or public washroom. They go off again after a predetermined period of time with no motion around them.

Home hubs and personal devices for lighting control

Many people feel more comfortable coming home to a well-lit apartment. Having the lights go on automatically just before a tenant comes home can be accomplished with smart lighting devices that are either preset using a proprietary home hub or controlled via the tenant’s mobile device or smart speaker. The latter allows tenants to make adjustments if they decide to come home earlier or later than normal.

In either case, automatic lighting can also be used to give the look of someone at home when a tenant is away on vacation. And it saves on utility bills by reducing wasted electricity. In many instances, automatic lighting can be integrated with security features (see below), window treatments, and HVAC, using a programmable thermostat. (Smart thermostats are great, by the way, for preventing frozen pipes when tenants turn their heat off, mistakenly thinking that’s the only way to save money when not at home.)

Emergency egress

Don’t forget about emergency scenarios when considering your tenants’ security. New York City requires apartment buildings to have the proper lighting for egress in case of fire or other emergencies. This has to be installed correctly, tested regularly, and inspected periodically for compliance.

Where does new technology enter into emergency signage and lighting? Every year, there are better types of backup power systems available for large buildings. You can take your emergency lighting off your regular power supply and give it its own power source, knowing it will work no matter what, without having to worry about batteries and other old-fashioned concerns.

Door Security Technology

Smart locks

It can be challenging, disruptive, and expensive to install full-scale security systems in apartment buildings the way you can in a single-family home. However, new security advances can provide excellent alternatives, especially if you already have cameras in public spaces and a doorman at the property’s entrance.

One of the best inventions to come along in a while is the smart lock. Rather than using a traditional metal key or even a key card, it employs a numerical pad (sometimes in combination with biometrics, such as fingerprints) to allow entrance to any home. Smart locks afford tremendous benefits to apartment dwellers and building owners:

• Locks can be rekeyed by the landlord, or property manager, which saves time and money when a unit turns over.
• Smart locks can also be changed by the tenant after work has been done in the unit or when household workers leave the tenant’s payroll (no spare keys floating around somewhere out there).
• Occupants don’t have to worry about lockouts with kids, nannies, and cleaners.
• Users can be alerted when the door lock is activated, such as when an in-home worker arrives or when teens come home from school.
• These locks are more resistant to tampering and picking than conventional locks.
• Smart locks these days can be controlled remotely via a cell phone, tablet, or smartwatch – ideal if an occupant forgets to lock their door or wants to change the passcode after a parcel delivery, for example.

Smart doorbells

Smart locks are frequently used in conjunction with smart doorbells. You’ve probably seen the results of these handy devices on social media. It’s not really the bell itself that’s the draw; instead, it’s the ability to see who’s outside your door, even if you’re not home.

Smart doorbells have tiny cameras that record people visiting a home’s entrance. They can be viewed live or after the fact, which is ideal to both identify visitors in the moment (is this an unwanted sales call or the pizza the tenant just ordered?) and catch vandals, package-stealing porch pirates, and trespassers.

Other Popular Security Innovations for Apartment Buildings

The sky’s the limit

Apartment security is a growing niche, and each year brings new innovations for landlords and renters. Worried your tenant’s dog is going to damage expensive finishes? Try a pet camera that lets occupants identify triggers and behaviors to fix.

Smart outlets (also sometimes known as smart plugs) let users control anything plugged into them with a personal device or voice command – helpful if a tenant accidentally leaves an electric heater or coffee pot on when they’re not home. Smart power strips and surge protectors do the same thing for multiple plugs.

For apartments with seniors, small children, or disabled people, new plumbing technology now lets users run a bath with a smart tub filler. Water temperature and depth can be predetermined, and users can set the tub to fill to a certain depth. Voice activation is available too with some models.

Ready to bring your apartment building’s security into the 21st century? Call Bolt Electric at 212-434-0098 or use our online contact form to schedule a consultation. Our experts can help improve safety, convenience, and energy efficiency for both you and your tenants.