Attention Property Managers! You May Be Held Liable for Security & Safety Oversights on Your Property

Take off your property manager hat for a moment

. Now, imagine how you'd feel if one of your friends or loved ones was viciously attacked in a condo or apartment. Imagine how you'd feel if you were told the intruder gained access to the unit with an old key or by breaking down the door or prying open a window. You'd be upset, wouldn't you? And you'd look for someone to hold responsible, right? Maybe someone like the property manager? You might even encourage that a lawsuit be filed. This is exactly why you, as a property manager, need to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of your residents.

Security & Safety Inspectors find security hazards within apartment and condominium complexes every day. Even in premium rental properties, lack of the simplest security measures is found.

In one such inspection, a second floor apartment was selected for a safety inspection, with particular attention to security. The resident that lived within this unit was a single woman in her early 30s. When the inspector asked her why she chose that particular unit, she responded, "Because the building is right next to the property manager's office and second floor apartments are safer."

But upon a thorough inspection, what was viewed by the resident as a "safe" apartment was found by the safety inspector to be a unit that was at high risk for a successful break-in.

By taking a look at what the inspector found, you can learn some very important lessons about security risks that can pose a threat to your residents.

Security Risk #1 Door Locks

On inspection of the front entry door, the only lock on the door was an old dead bolt. In addition to being old, it was obvious that the dead-bolt lock had been switched out from other apartments numerous times. The dead bolt also had some initials carved into itmaking it easily identifiable by a former resident.

Because switching out locks between units had been what the property manager explained as a "money-saving" practice for a period of years, it's chilling to think about just how many keys to this lock were out there. And what if the person who carved those initials in the lock was aware of the locks being switched out among units?

To increase the security of the front entry doors to your property's units, always install more than one lock on the residents' doors. At least one of those locks should be rated by American National Standards Institute. The dead-bolt lock should carry an ANSI Grade 1 Specification; this means the deadbolt must be tested through 250,000 open/close cycles, project 1 inch into the door frame, and withstand 10 strikes from a hammer. Whenever a resident moves out, all keyed door locks should be replaced with new locks and keys. Never switch out locks between apartment units!

Security Risk #2 Entry Door Hinges & Screws

Upon further inspection of the front entry door, although the door was metal, it had a hollow core. In addition, the door hinges were installed with standard 1.5-inch screws, and two of them were missingone from the top hinge and one from the bottom hinge. Each of these findings was viewed as a severe security hazard because they made the resident's door an easy entry point. A hollow door with standard hinge screws (even if all are in place) makes it easy for the door to be kicked in by an intruder.

To ensure a higher level of security to the entry doors, make sure all doors are constructed of solid wood or metal. In addition, all door hinges should be reinforced with 2- to 3-inche steel screws.

Security Risk #3 Sliding Glass Door and Windows

Upon inspection of the patio's sliding glass door, a typical metal latch was in place. There was a secondary anti-sliding device inserted in the door track to stop the door from sliding. As for the windows, there was only one accessible from the patio. However, this was a window that also slid sideways, and other than its flimsy metal latch, there were no anti-sliding devices on the window or within the track.

Although the resident's apartment was located on the second floor, inspection of the outdoor patio surroundings revealed a sturdy tree capable of allowing access to the patio if climbed. This, along with the lack of security measures for the sliding glass patio door and window, provided another easy entry point for intruders.

It's important to note that the metal latches on sliding glass doors and windows are not locks. They can be easily unlatched or broken with a minimum amount of force. This is why ensuring that all sliding glass doors and accessible windows have secondary anti-sliding devices is imperative.

To increase the security of glass patio doors and accessible windows that slide sideways, insert solid wooden closet dowels or metal rods in between the tracks. For accessible windows that slide up and down, be sure they include some type of quality anti-lift device that can only be accessed from the inside.

The lack of the above security measures is disturbing. Not only were these security hazards present when the resident moved in, these same risks were found not only in second-floor apartments, but numerous ground-floor apartments as well.

When these risks were pointed out to the property manager, he placed the responsibility on the property's maintenance personnel. But had a resident been brutally attacked as a result of the lack of security measures within one of those units, guess who would be accountable? That's rightthe property manager!

Don't put yourself and your residents at risk! Inspect all of your rental units and take whatever steps are necessary to bring them up to compliance with each of the following safety measures:

All entry locks and dead bolts are rekeyed or replaced prior to new residents moving in.

All exit door hinges contain 3-inch steel screws.

All entry doors have a peephole installed within viewing range and include a wide-angle lens.

All doors and windows that slide sideways include secondary anti-sliding devices, such as a solid wooden closet dowel or metal rod.

All windows that slide up and down include anti-lift security devices.

All damaged and missing door and window screens are replaced.

All move-out inspections include inspecting for potential "security risks," with necessary security measures put in place to eliminate or reduce those risks.

All requests for repairs to locks, doors, windows, and screens are addressed within 24 hours.

All new resident walk-through inspections are attended and documented by you!

In addition to the above, no matter what floor an apartment is on, all outdoor landscaping should be evaluated with security measures in mind. If you find a tree, bush, dumpster or anything else that could potentially be used to gain access to an upper floor apartment, if possible, have it removed or relocated to another location away from apartment buildings.

Rememberresidents are not security experts. Never hand them a form and rely on them to report a unit's security risks. As a property manager, it's your job to ensure the safety and security of each resident's unit. So minimize the risks to both yourself and your residents by maximizing the security measures of each and every one of your units.

Attention Property Managers! You May Be Held Liable for Security & Safety Oversights on Your Property

By: Jordan Frankel

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