7 Security Upgrades to Consider for Your Apartment

By Brittany Loeffler on December 18, 2020

This article is brought to you by GradGuard. We protect college students and their families from the financial risks of college life, like providing a refund for tuition or replacing a stolen backpack when your school may not. When the unexpected happens, GradGuard’s tuition insurance and renters insurance can help you get back on track.

Living on your own in an apartment is exciting, but also makes you realize that you’re now entering the real world. You have utility bills and rent to pay, rooms to furnish, and floors to vacuum. It’s all becoming real, the responsibilities of adulthood.

Then you realize that you also have to keep your apartment and yourself safe while you live there. While your landlord may have already provided some security measures, there are probably some more upgrades you can make yourself.

Securing your apartment from criminal threats will help you sleep at night and feel safer in your home.

security

via Pixabay

Install Heavy Duty Locks

A simple lock on the doorknob isn’t going to keep anyone who really wants to get inside your apartment out. With a hard kick to the door or a simple picking of the lock and a stranger could be inside your home in seconds.

Upgrade the locks at your apartment with heavy-duty ones like deadbolts. While any lock can be picked, deadbolts are more complex and require a great amount of force to break through. You can also add a chain lock to the inside for even more protection.

Always ask your landlord if they are willing to put a new lock on the door for you when you first move in. You never know who the previous tenant may have given a key to while they lived there.

Secure Your Windows

If you live on the first floor, then you will definitely want to take extra precautions and upgrade the security on your windows. First, you’ll want to make sure that the locks on the windows are effective and not flimsy.

You can also add window film to the glass, which makes it harder to break. It’s discreet and a great extra layer of protection.

Lastly, you’ll want to have opaque curtains or shades to cover your windows. If people can see inside your apartment, they may be on the lookout for expensive electronics and jewelry you have lying around. Close your curtains, especially at night, to keep your privacy.

Install a Security System

Having a security system inside your apartment can really put your mind at ease. Set the alarm at night when you’re asleep, while you’re home alone, and when you’ve left for class or work during the day. Knowing that if someone breaks into your apartment an extremely loud alarm will go off and deter them from entering will make you feel much safer.

Plus, if you have your security system monitored, a company will notify the authorities if it does go off and the police or fire department will be at your apartment as soon as possible.

Lock Sliding Doors

Sliding doors are a great feature to have in an apartment, especially when they let in a lot of natural light and a fresh breeze on cool spring days. However, they aren’t the most secure door. To add some extra upgraded security, place a bar or rod at the bottom of the door where it slides. This will keep it in one place, unable to open unless someone removes it.

Buy a Safe

If in the unfortunate event someone does break into your apartment, you should keep your most valuable items in a safe. This should be secured with a lock or code and hidden somewhere in your apartment, like a closet or under your bed.

In the safe, you should keep important documents such as your passport and social security card, expensive jewelry, and anything else that is worth value.

Add a Peephole or Security Cameras

Nowadays we don’t want to be surprised when someone knocks on our door. Adding a peephole will let you see who is outside your apartment before you choose to open the door.

Better yet, you can add a security camera outside, if your landlord allows, so you can get a clearer view of who is paying you a visit.

Some security cameras even have microphones so you can speak to whoever is outside your door. This is perfect for asking people you don’t know why they are at your apartment without opening the door and becoming vulnerable.

Get Renters Insurance

Protect your belongings in case of a burglary or damage with a renters insurance policy from GradGaurd. By protecting your items with insurance, you can count on having them replaced so you don’t have to scramble to put money together and try to get back your laptop or television.

Renters insurance doesn’t just cover your apartment from theft, though! If your bike is stolen off the street or your car is broken into, your renter’s insurance will cover the items that were stolen from there too.

It’s no secret that college costs a lot of money. Make sure your investment in higher education is protected with GradGuard. Our affordable tuition insurance and renters insurance plans are specifically designed for college students. Customizable plans make it easy to protect your tuition, room and board, laptop, bike, and so much more.

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