This section of our website is provided to help you match common security concerns with solutions in buildings associated with Multi-Family Housing. Security concerns are generally categorized in terms of protecting people and property while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements such as fire & life safety, accessibility (ADA), etc. The examples shown are a small subset of the overall solution set, but they are representative of the products and services used to enhance security in Multi-Family Housing buildings of all kinds.
Main Entrance
How is access to the main entrance to the building controlled?
Is the main entrance restricted or locked 24 hours per day requiring an electronic credential to enter?
Are other entrances equipped with access control products where key cards or other similar items are used to access the building?
Is staff alerted by unauthorized ingress or egress to restricted areas or rooms?
Are doors able to be opened and closed easily while complying with ADA regulations?
Door Hardware, Mechanical
Are all locks operating and securing doors properly?
Does the facility have a preventative maintenance program that includes checking the locks?
Are any closets, bathrooms, storage rooms, etc. equipped with a functioning lock on the door?
Do doors with hydraulic door closers meet ADA low resistance opening effort standards?
Doors and Frames
Do rooms have metal or solid core wooden doors?
Are they properly maintained and in good working order?
Perimeter/Surveillance
Does your facility monitor its grounds with CCTV?
Are events that transpire on the grounds in the facility being recorded?
Has a video surveillance system audit been completed in the past year?
ADA Compliance
Is the hardware within the facility easily opened/ closed for individuals with handicap needs?
Do your doors automatically open for easy accessibility?
Are entrance doors equipped with ADA push button equipment that automatically open doors?
Complementary Items
Are doors reinforced at the location of the lock to protect from damage?
Are doors equipped with a door sweep to weatherize exterior doors from the elements?
Are doors equipped with products to prevent wind from damaging the doors?
Do individual apartments or condominium units have safes to store personal belongings?
Are door stops located on each door to prevent damage to walls?
Do individual apartments or condominium units have peephole viewers to see who is on the other side of the door?
Unit/Common Areas
Can the tenant access a common area with the same credential they use to get in to their apartment door?
Can the common areas be restricted to only allow certain tenants into certain areas?
Are interior doors equipped with deadbolt locks?
Are the locks and strike plates mounted securely?
Have the locks been re-keyed since the last tenant moved out?
Can visitors be observed without opening the apartment door either through a door peephole or window?
Door Hardware, Electronic
Would elimination of manual rekeying when a resident moves or loses a key (or other security issue) be beneficial?
Would reduction of the number of mechanical keys issued (and associated reduction in liability) be beneficial?
Is tracking installed on door hardware to determine where and when maintenance personnel or contractors enter rooms or other areas?
In common areas, are time restrictions available on the door hardware?
Do staff members carry ID Badges for access control with audit trail and time restrictions?
Can the building owner or maintenance department track who has been in certain rooms at what time and how long?
Is key management software used?
Does the building owner or maintenance department have the ability to manage the complexity and the high turnover rates associated with housing?
Does a tenant have the ability to use one electronic key to maintain access to the resident’s private living quarters and all of the property’s amenities?
Is management able to control multiple properties from a single database?
Key Control
Does maintenance know who has the key to every apartment unit?
How does maintenance keep track of keys?
Are spare keys stored in a locked cabinet with record and receipt of issued keys?
What steps are taken if a key is lost?
Can keys be duplicated?
How difficult is it to rekey a lock?
Is management faced with a cumbersome task of physically changing locks or keeping track of which tenants have returned their key?
Is the facility using master keys?
Does the facility use a high security key system?
Key Machines
Does the property manager do key duplication, or is this service outsourced?
Fire & Life Safety
In case of power loss, are doors equipped with an illumination option to view exits in the dark and/or with smoke in the building?
Are panic bars being used in stairwells and emergency exit doors?
