Do you live in a safe apartment complex? You wonder about this and have other questions as well. Are common areas and parking lots well lit? Are security cameras in place to monitor the building?
You want to know the answers. While a building owner or landlord may insist that all proper safety measures are in place, you may have doubts.
Adequate lighting to fire sprinkler systems
It is the responsibility of the property owner and landlord to provide a safe and secure place for apartment residents as well as the people who visit. If they do not, then it is a clear sign of negligence. Building owners cannot be dismissive when it comes to safety.
Here are a few safety features that any apartment building should have:
- Adequate lighting: A building owner must provide proper lighting in hallways, stairways, basements, laundry rooms, parking garages and parking lots. Poor lighting may lead to slips and falls because tenants may not have seen cracks in sidewalks and parking lots as well as damage to stairs. Dimly lit areas also provide the cover that criminals need to attack.
- Locks that properly work on doors and windows: Safety always remains a priority when children live with you. If you live above the first floor, you want to make sure the window locks function properly, thus preventing the youngsters from falling out. Defective locks also satisfy criminals, allowing them to gain entry. While sleeping at night, you may be surprised by an intruder who has broken into your apartment.
- The presence of security cameras: These devices are necessities. Cameras record the comings and goings within the apartment complex, are monitored by security staff and serve as a deterrent for would-be intruders. They need to be properly working and placed throughout the building as well as outside, monitoring parking ramps, parking lots and sidewalks.
- Fire sprinkler systems: You live in a building with dozens of people. Any one of them may accidentally or even intentionally set a fire. A functioning sprinkler system will prevent fires from spreading. They should be found in the building’s common areas as well as your apartment. The building’s owner must properly maintain them, too.
Failing to provide any of these measures is a clear sign of negligent security.
Take the owner to task
Without having specific safety measures in place, an apartment building poses as a threat to its residents. If your apartment is not safe, make sure to take to task the building owner or landlord. It is their responsibility to ensure your safety.
