Your apartment building is home to a number of residents, all of whom have left their own particular mark on their separate apartment. However, with the necessity of having a number of easily accessible communal areas—such as mailrooms and refuse collection areas—your apartment building might not be as secure as it could be. You might be part of a neighborhood watch group with other residents of your apartment building, working alongside the building manager to ensure that your block is as secure as it can be. Here are four essentials for a safer apartment building.

1. Motion-sensor lights

While your individual apartments will be cozy and welcoming, the many communal areas of the apartment building are likely to be slightly dingy and featureless. Corridors, car parks, and refuse collection areas can easily become intimidating if you are visiting them alone, and they may have dark corners in which it is all too easy for intruders to hide. A solution is to insert motion-sensor lights that are activated when someone is in the area. Not only will they fully illuminate seldom-used areas of the apartment building when necessary, they will also act as a deterrent to would-be intruders. On top of this, they will also reserve expensive energy by not being constantly turned on.

2. A properly functioning elevator

An elevator that regularly breaks down and has extensive down periods is not only inconvenient—no one wants to lug heavy shopping bags up several flights of stairs—but it is also a safety hazard. An elevator will convey you quickly and safely to your apartment if you are on your own late at night, rather than you having to take the staircase. Likewise, elevators can easily experience wear and tear issues that present some hazards to users. For example, if the bottom of the elevator car becomes out of balance with the landing sill, this can be a trip hazard, particularly for wearers of high heels. Bring in an elevator inspection service, such as ATIS, on a regular basis, who will identify and fix minor problems before they turn into major ones.

3. Burglar-resistant doors

Sometimes, despite all of your best efforts at security, including making sure that the main door is always locked behind you, intruders still manage to infiltrate your apartment building. It is therefore important that every apartment is fitted with burglar-resistant doors in order to help prevent thieves from breaking and entering into your home. These are heavy-duty doors that are fitted with locks that can withstand a lot of force, and are essential for security, especially if you live in an area with high crime rates.

4. Vigilance

All the home security tools will count for nothing if not every resident is vigilant and safety aware. Make sure that the main door is properly locked behind you when you enter the apartment building, rather than being left on the latch. This is the first and most important guard against intruders entering your apartment building.