Condo Living: Protection Directions

Express contributor Aliya Sternstein says that staying safe in your condo is easy if you listen to the experts.

EVEN IF YOUR CONDO is your castle, you don’t need armor-wearing guards to protect it or its inhabitants. Asking simple questions before buying a property and then investing in relationships with your neighbors will go a long way toward security and a sense of well being.

First, assess how much room you're willing to cohabit with others.

In most condo developments, there is "a lot of shared space for which you have to share responsibility," says Jean O'Neil, director of research at the National Crime Prevention Council, pictured above. "You do have the issue where people that come into the building aren't always going to be known to you."

Years ago, a homeless person actually moved into one of her complex's storage area units for a short time, but was detected by residents. "You have to recognize that your personal radar about what feels right or what doesn't feel right is all a part of this," she says.

Since people move in and out of buildings at such a high rate in the D.C. region, this means that it might be hard to distinguish trespassers from new owners. It can also be hard to suss out unwanted visitors, since condo owners may routinely rent out their units to different people.

How should you combat this parade of unfamiliar faces? Find out whether the condo association hosts regular meet and greets to introduce the newcomers to long-time residents.

If you're pondering buying a place, it's smart to inquire with the head of the condo association or property manager on the premises about the safety and security that comes with purchase. "Also, chat up residents. See what they think," O'Neil says.

With residents moving in and out, keys to common areas may be hard to keep track of. Ask the condo association about its policy about changing the locks: Does the property change the door code every time someone moves out?

Also, check about carbon monoxide monitoring. "The price of an alarm is small for the safety against something that is silent, odorless and deadly," O'Neil says.

Brian Ver Planck, North American regional sales manager for ADT Security and a D.C. area resident, says carbon monoxide monitoring is one of the company's "most commonly elected" services, outside of intrusion detection.

After you've looked into advertised safety and security precautions, see for yourself whether the development's defenses meet your needs. Observe the construction of entry doors. They should be made of solid core wood and have a dead bolt that extends a minimum of one inch beyond the door's edge, Ver Planck says.

O'Neil adds: "Door chains are only as good as the screws that hold them, so don't hold your breath. They are not particularly effective."

In addition, ensure the doors to common areas shut — and lock — automatically.

Act like a perpetrator yourself: Drive by the property at night. Are the entrances, parking lots and parking garages well-lit? Do you feel like you can walk around without being afraid? "You can't have bushes that are providing instant hiding places for criminals," O'Neil warns.

If you end up closing on the condo unit, have the locks changed on your own doors before you move in to the new place. "You never know how many keys are out there, even if it's a new unit," she says.

Then, make an effort to get to know your neighbors. In large part, safety is a collaborative effort that requires some level of familiarity with fellow residents.
"You don't have to be bosom buddies or know their intimate secrets," O'Neil notes. "Say, 'hi.'"

Propose that the condo association appoint one person per floor, row of townhouses or cluster of units to grab newspapers when people go on vacation or business trips.

You might want to see whether fellow owners are agreeable to having the police perform a building-wide security survey, O'Neil suggests. This kind of evaluation pinpoints general vulnerabilities, which you can address with basic intrusion detection if it's not there already. Sensors on the door and lower-level windows can be installed for less than $1,000, according to Brinks spokesman Dave Simon.

But, he says, bear in mind that "security systems are a deterrent. They are not designed to capture criminals." Usually, a triggered sensor will alert the alarm company's central monitoring system — not the police. The monitoring center filters out false alarms by calling customers to ensure the alert is legitimate and contacts the local authorities only when there is a real break-in or if the customer cannot be reached.

Beyond the basic access control technology, there are some other gadgets on the market that might increase your comfort level. Fake signs emblazoned with the words "Brinks" or "ADT" are not among them, O'Neil warns. Similarly, she says,"fake cans for hiding things are possibly better known to the burglar than to you."

Video monitoring may seem superfluous and, perhaps, even intrusive, but it is available to individual owners.

ADT now offers a residential camera system that is controlled and monitored exclusively by the owner. The camera, connected to a sensor mounted on the owner's front door, is placed outside the entrance. Any time the door is opened, the sensor activates the camera's recorder to go back and save about 10 to 15 seconds of footage before and after the door was opened. The sensor can notify the owner via his or her PC or PDA. Only the user can view the video. The system is not tied to ADT's central station.

Finally, there is the option of loved-one protection. McLean-based company Alarm.com offers a Web-enabled feature that notifies the owner's family members and emergency contacts by cell phone or other Internet device if the condo's motion detector senses movement where it shouldn't be or, conversely, doesn't sense movement where it should be — say, in Grandma's bedroom.

This means a condo owner's son could remotely keep tabs on his elderly mom by having the system signal him if there is no motion in her room by 9 a.m., when she typically wakes up. There are no cameras. The system collects data mainly from wireless or hard-wired sensors.

This wizardry either can be set up by an Alarm.com authorized dealer or self-installed.
Mary Knebel, Alarm.com's vice president of business development, says the product can also provide piece of mind for young families. "A lot of condo owners don't think they need security, because they have access control into the building. But these systems can alert them to whether someone has gotten into their medicine cabinet or their liquor cabinet."

Photos by Lawrence Luk for Express