Do-it-yourself systems are designed to help you install a system easily while still giving you the option of taking the equipment with you when you move.

Wireless Systems

Wireless systems are battery-powered. This means they don’t need to be hooked into your apartment’s electrical circuitry. Sensors, the siren and even the alarm panel attach to your walls, doors and windows using a strong adhesive that eliminates the need to drill through any walls. The adhesive is also designed not to damage the walls when you need to remove the equipment, eliminating the risk of losing your security deposit due to scraped wall paint.

Monitored vs. Unmonitored

Wireless systems are either monitored or unmonitored. Monitored systems are linked to an outside security company, which notifies local emergency services when an alarm is activated. While this accelerates response time, there are some risks from using a monitored system in an apartment setting. Monitoring services almost always require contracts, and some contracts prohibit you from transferring services to a new address.

In that case, you have to pay a contract termination fee when you move. Other contracts do allow for service to be transferred, but then you have to move to an area that monitoring company operates in for the transfer to be possible. This is a minimal risk if you’re using a national provider. but it gets more complicated when working with a local company with a limited coverage area.

Unmonitored systems still activate an alarm when a door or window gets compromised, but you or your neighbors need to call the police yourselves. The sound of the alarm is intended to startle burglars into retreating, and it also notifies your neighbors about the break-in when it happens. If you purchase a DIY system with no monitoring service, you are not under any type of contract. You can take your system with you wherever you go without the added cost of breaking a service contract.

Advantages

A security system gives you greater peace of mind. You live in close quarters with a large number of people when you live in an apartment building or complex, and you likely don’t know all your neighbors. You never know if one of your neighbors is a potential thief or assailant. While not an end-all solution, a security system helps protect you from that risk.

Another advantage involves insurance. If you have rental insurance, (and you really should if you can afford it,) you often get a discount from the insurance company if you have a security system in your unit. Call around to insurance companies in your area to compare rates for rental insurance and the potential discounts gained from having a system installed.

Disadvantages

Aside from the initial cost, there are few disadvantages to an apartment security system. However, you must be careful of false alarms. While false alarms are disruptive when they occur in a home, they potentially result in outright hostility if they happen in an apartment. The apartment manager could fine you if false alarms happen multiple times. If your equipment starts malfunctioning, get it serviced immediately to help prevent those potential issues.

Security systems benefit you regardless of whether you live in a home or an apartment. While the decision to purchase a system and what type of system is best for you depends on your individual needs, do not discount the idea of getting a security system simply because you live in a rental unit. Your apartment is still your home, and it deserves the same level of protection that you would give a house that you own.

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