A R T I C L E —

Apartment, Condo and Other Multi-Tenant Housing Security

by Ralph Witherspoon, CPP, CSC

The second most common crime threat to the average American (after auto theft) is to have his or her home burglarized and possessions stolen. Apartments, condominiums and other multi-tenant housing are frequently at greater risk than the single-family house, in part because renters must rely on their apartment/condo owners or managers to provide for much of their security. Also, in large complexes, the likelihood is greater that intruding criminals will blend in with the larger population and not be noticed while they scout properties or commit crimes.

Regardless of where the multi-tenant/family rental housing is located — city, suburb, small town, or county, there is always some degree of risk for break-ins or theft, and in many cases robbery or assault. Risks tend to be higher in urban and suburban areas than they are in rural or small town areas. With today's expressways, inner-city criminals often "commute" 10-20 miles to the suburbs to look for their victims.

Unfortunately, many apartment and condo builders have little or no knowledge about security. Since state or local codes usually do not require security, many builders ignore it, or provide only minimal measures. At the same time, the building owners and managers who do want to provide good security for their properties frequently have little training, and often only a minimal understanding of good security practices and procedures. The result is that many tenants become crime victims and many owners and managers are sued for having "negligent security."

Most burglars are young males who are seeking easy entry when no one is at home, and most are looking for a dwelling that contains, or is perceived to contain, easily portable valuables, such as cash, credit cards, jewelry, guns, computers and electronic devices. They are also looking for concealment and quick escape routes. In an estimated 25 percent of burglaries, entry is gained through an unlocked front, back, patio or garage door, or unlocked window. In the other 75 percent of home burglaries where doors and windows are locked, in half of those only minimal force is applied for less than 10 seconds to a locked door or window to gain entry. In other words, in two-thirds of all burglaries, entry is relatively quick and easy!

While most people fear break-ins at night, the vast majority of residential burglaries occur during the day when homes are usually unoccupied. Sometimes, however, both the burglar and resident are present at the same time. That can lead to assault, rape and even murder. So while residential burglaries are frequently considered to be only "property crimes," they have the potential to lead to injury and death. Any successful burglary or non-domestic assault in a rental or condo complex should alert management to immediately and comprehensively review its security measures. Also, auto break-ins or thefts on the property demonstrate the presence of criminals and criminal activity, and should be taken seriously in considering overall security.

Providing Physical Security

The first step in protecting multi-tenant property is to "harden" both the buildings and grounds as a whole, plus the individual housing units (apartments). If a criminal passing by or already on your property believes it to be too difficult or time-consuming to gain entry or too well lighted, or has too few concealment places or escape routes, he may well go to another property. That robber or burglar is probably going to victimize someone that day … the challenge is to not let the victim be you, your property, or your tenants!

Since most entries are made through doors, it only makes sense to have solid-core wood or metal entry doors, plus strong doorframes and locking devices. A door, however, is only as strong as its weakest component. I recommend a spring-lock latch, plus a dead-bolt lock with a 1-inch throw. Use a heavy-duty, four-screw strike plate secured into the doorframe stud with 3-inch screws. Owners and managers should be aware of local fire codes (and the safety of tenants) when considering installation of locks, gates and bars.

Locked lobby entrance doors actually provide little physical protection, because some residents will grant entry to almost anyone. However, locked lobby doors do provide at least a minimal physical and psychological barrier to intruders, plus some delay, and thus are deterrents to numberous criminals. Accordingly, they should be used where possible — just don't rely completely on them.

Ground-level housing units are especially at risk because of the ease of access to multiple points of attack. Bushes are often used by criminals to provide concealment while they are waiting for a victim, or trying to gain entry to a building or apartment. I recommend cutting bushes on the interior of the property to 18 inches above the ground or lower, and completely eliminating bushes and hedges close to basement or ground-level windows, or close to entry doors, including ground-level sliding patio doors. Sliding patio doors should be equipped with a "charley bar" plus a "through-the-door pin" to prevent lifting the door out of its track to gain entry (horizontal sliding windows can be equipped with a dowel to prevent opening, and vertical sliding windows should be equipped with a through-the-frame pin). Trees within 25 feet of any building should have their branches trimmed so that none hangs lower than eight feet above ground level, or closer than 10 feet to the building or its balconies. Eliminating potential hiding spots or obstructed lines of sight not only deters some criminals, but it also permits residents and legitimate visitors to observe and report suspicious persons or behavior, and to avoid danger themselves.

Implementing these basic physical security measures should significantly reduce (but won't necessarily eliminate) the risk of burglary for most multi-tenant buildings and units. However, individual properties or configurations may require different measures. Security is not a "cookie-cutter" process, and, if any questions arise, you should consult with a professional security consultant or expert.

Lighting

Since most criminals don't want to be seen committing their crime, or to be identified, many prefer to commit the crimes under the cover of darkness. As a result, appropriate lighting can be a relatively inexpensive security measure that, experience shows, will deter some criminals.

Apartment or condo surface parking lots and garages are locations where tenants and visitors are more easily accessible to robbers, rapists, carjackers, and thieves who often enter, srike, and then quickly flee. Such criminals are drawn to parking facilities and areas because of the presence of automobiles to steal or break into, and persons who can be attacked. Because of the crime potential at almost all parking lots; or especially if your parking lot/garage or facility has a history of crime, or there has been recent serious crime in the neighborhood, or your facility is perceived as an "upscale" property for the area, in other words — attractive to criminals, prudent security dictates that you review and possibly enhance security.

For surface parking lots, security and national lighting guidelines dictate that the lot be illuminated to a minimum of three foot-candles. Lighting should be turned on and off by timer, or preferably by photoelectric sensor to ensure that it is operating when needed. I recommend metal-halide lighting fixtures in these parking lots.

While local or state building codes may require a lower level of lighting, it is far better to design and install "safety and security" levels of lighting at the beginning, rather than wait until a resident or guest is injured or otherwise victimized.

In covered/enclosed parking garages, the threat to persons and property can be very high. Such locations are a frequent favored "hunting-ground" for robbers and rapists, who often find plenty of places to hide, and victims to attack. This is especially true if access to the garage is not strictly controlled. Isolated floors and locations can make effective surveillance or monitoring difficult at best. I recommend that the interior of covered/enclosed-parking garages be illuminated to a minimum uniform level of six foot-candles. Pedestrian entry and exit points, and any stairwells and elevator lobbies should have lighting levels at least double that. These levels of illumination should be maintained around the clock since sufficient daylight seldom penetrates deeply into a garage. The use of glossy white paint on the walls and ceilings can enhance reflected lighting and thus the ability to spot individuals or movements against the white background. Note: If the roof of a garage is used for parking and is open to the sky, the lighting recommended for the roof parking area is that shown above for open parking lots (three foot-candles minimum).

Exterior lighting around the property should enable residents to detect the presence of persons at 75-100 feet, and to identify individuals (facial features) and other dangers at a distance of 30 feet. Those distances will usually allow them to take defensive action or avoidance if necessary, while still at a safe distance. I recommend that sidewalks and footpaths around and between buildings, parking lots and garages (routes where pedestrians are funneled, and where security is almost always a consideration because of their open accessibility to non-residents and intruders) be illuminated to a minimum level of three foot-candles. Where senior citizens who are often sight-impaired are residents or frequent visitors, that lighting level should be increased for safety purposes.

Inside multi-tenant buildings, security lighting is often a problem. This is especially true in the "common areas" such as building entrances, corridors, hallways and stairs, which require sufficient lighting to enable recognition of faces to determine who belongs in those spaces and who does not, and who is perceived as safe and who may be perceived as posing a danger. For security purposes I recommend a minimum maintained illumination level of three foot-candles in those common areas. Mailrooms and other high-use gathering spaces such as laundry rooms, exercise rooms, and the like should be uniformly illuminated with a minimum of 10 foot-candles. Again, painting walls and ceilings in those common areas with a glossy white paint increases actual and perceived visibility.

Where the entry door to an individual family unit in a multi-tenant building opens directly to the outside of the building, identification of persons at that door becomes increasingly important, since that is the first line of defense against intruders. Illumination from both exterior sides of the entry door aids in facial recognition. If the lights are mounted in the ceiling or overhead, they should not be directly above or behind where an individual will be standing, as that may shadow the individual's face or features. I recommend that lighting for residential entry-doors be not less than 1-2 foot-candles measured both horizontally at ground level, and vertically five feet above the doorway threshold.

Residents can also use timers to turn lights on inside their home to give the appearance that someone is present. If drapes and blinds are pulled, especially in the living room and other ground floor rooms, and interior lights are on, many burglars won't take the risk, especially if a radio is also left playing to create the impression that someone is at home.

Gated Communities

Special care should be taken with walled or gated communities. Gates and fences provide a perception of privacy and security to the residents, and a deterrent to some criminals. But walls and gates can be climbed, and without a security officer screening individuals and vehicles seeking access, security is not significantly improved. Basic security measures such as described in the sections above still need to be implemented, especially those relating to outdoor and common areas.

When an electronic keypad rather than a trained security officer is used to control access, it will be only a few weeks before every pizza delivery person in town has the access code. And if they have it, burglars and other criminals won't be far behind in obtaining it.

Walls and gates do provide some security, but only if they control access to the property.

Security Officers

Many apartments and other multi-tenant properties utilize security officers, either their own employees or contract guard company officers. In recent years some property managers, believing they were reducing their potential legal liability, have started using what they call "courtesy officers." These are usually off-duty police to whom management provides free housing on the property in return for "assistance." Courts, however, tend to view these individuals for who they are — people performing security duties but called "courtesy officers" … and liability to the owners or management isn't reduced.

While many courtesy officers provide excellent service for their properties, others may actually increase liability. Law enforcement officers often have little control over their schedules and may be working days this month, and nights next month. Their presence on the property at any given time, or even on any given day, is not ensured. As a result, security coverage and any deterrence are reduced, and residents who think they are being protected are misled. If it is worth spending the money on security, in whatever form, it is worth doing it right!

Whether you use in–house or contract security officers:

Be sure to run a comprehensive background check, including a criminal conviction check, on each officer, and retain the backup documentation. These individuals will, in many cases, literally "have the keys" to the property and in many cases access to tenants' units. Poor screening here can lead to potential legal damages for injuries or losses, as well as embarrassment and bad publicity for the property.
Ensure that your guards receive not only basic security officer training (documented), but also training specific to your property and the functions they are to perform for you (this includes off-duty police who need to know your property and what duties you expect and require of them).
Draw up specific "Post Orders" and make them part of any contract "by reference." They should specify exactly what duties the officer(s) should perform, and when, and how management wants the officers to handle any exceptions. They should also specify what reports are to be prepared, and when. At a minimum, the officers should prepare a detailed written activity report each shift, and separate written incident reports of any unusual occurrences. Reports should be kept for a minimum of three years.
Don't accept sub-standard performance. Complain immediately to the contract guard provider if assigned guards are not doing what they should, when they should. Request a replacement if necessary. Remember, however, that most guard companies draw their employees from the same general labor pool, and if you insist on paying low rates (pay rates to the guards are generally about 60% of the billing rate to you) you will usually get what you pay for, regardless of which company you use.
I recommend that you don't sign any contract that requires you to indemnify the guard company for their errors or mistakes. They should be responsible for any mistakes their employees make. If the company you are considering won't remove such a clause in their contract, try others.
Keep records (at least three years) on security measures so that you can later show what you did, when, and why. If you do things right, records can only help you.

Conclusion

This overview is not intended to provide the reader with a complete security program for multi-tenant properties. Rather, it provides some basic security considerations derived from well-accepted security principles, which are a starting point for those interested in protecting themselves, their families, and their properties. For those owners and property managers "doing it themselves," be sure to check your local building and other codes for regulations, which may impact what you may or may not do in this area, and, as necessary, consult with your attorney. Another good idea — contact a professional security consultant for assistance.

Readers desiring additional information on these or related subjects should contact a qualified professional security consultant and/or their attorney.

Disclaimer:

This article is based on generally accepted security principles, and on data gathered from what are believed to be reliable sources. This article is written for general information purposes only and is not intended to be, and should not be used as, a primary source for making security decisions. Each situation is or can be unique. The author is not an attorney, is not engaged in the practice of law, and is not rendering legal advice. Readers requiring advice about specific security problems or concerns should consult directly with a security professional. The author of this article shall have no liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss, liability, or damage alleged to have been caused by the use or application of any information in this article, nor information contained on this or any linked or related web site.