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Should I Invest in a Security System for My Multi-family Building?
BanCal Property Management • June 25, 2021
How to Keep Your Tenants and Your Property Safe
Security in a communal living space like an apartment building or a multi-family housing complex is a big part of protecting your investment and keeping your residents feeling safe. Security systems for apartment buildings are designed to protect both the people living there and the San Francisco rental property itself. You will likely agree they are well-worth the investment.
There’s no downside to helping your residents feel good about being at home. This will
attract outstanding tenants and more importantly - retain them.
Let’s take a look at how you can keep your San Francisco multi-family building secure. A good security system will include a number of things such as:
- Cameras at the entrances and exits
- Door access and control
- Video doorbells and intercoms
Don’t forget your exterior lighting. You’ll want to keep
parking areas and walkways well-lit. Motion lights can work well, for example.
We make security a priority in the buildings we manage. Here are some of the things we recommend to our owners.
ASSESS AND UPGRADE BUILDING SECURITY
Protect the condition of your asset and the well-being of your tenants by checking your current system and making any necessary improvements that new technology can support.
1. INSTALL VIDEO CAMERAS AT EVERY ENTRANCE AND EXIT IN YOUR BUILDING
Security cameras allow you to monitor who is coming and going from your property. Just the presence of those cameras often deters theft, vandalism, trespassing, loitering, and other criminal behaviors.
There have been a lot of impressive developments in security camera technology. Wireless cameras use the internet to record video, and you don’t have to worry about running out of batteries or storage space. The footage can be accessed from any remote location; there’s no need to rewind through video tape anymore.
The newest security cameras are also intuitive. They can zoom in on moving objects and tilt to include a wider range of space while recording. Install cameras to be visible so everyone is aware that they’re there.
2. CONTROL ACCESS TO DOORS AND GATES
Having an extra key to the building is often inconvenient for tenants and if the key can be easily duplicated, you’re only making the building less security. Upgrade to an electronic, coded door access control panel. This will eliminate the chance of residents losing their key or sharing a copy with someone who shouldn’t have it.
With a modern keypad outside the building’s entrance, you can install a numeric keypad that grants access with a code. Some systems will work with smartphones and badges as well, but a keypad provides for more accessibility for your residents.
If there’s a gate protecting your parking lot or other communal spaces, a control system that’s similar to the building access can also be helpful. With a long-range reader, tenants will be able to open gates as they’re pulling into the parking lot or approaching the secure area, whether it’s a pool or a fitness center or some other building amenity.
3. EMPOWER TENANTS WITH VIDEO DOORBELLS AND ACCESS INTERCOMS
Tenants can see who is at the door before allowing them into the building when video doorbells are installed. These are extremely popular in all kinds of residences. Install a video intercom system so your residents can see who has arrived. This will help with simple things, like food deliveries. It will also prevent your tenants from having to share the access codes with too many visitors. They can simply grant access from their own homes or their smartphones.
What have we learned?
As you can see, securing your multi-family building in San Francisco does not have to be complicated. A number of systems are available to keep your building and your residents safe. You’ll enjoy higher tenant retention and a lot less risk.
GET HELP WITH SAN FRANCISCO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
If you like the idea of more security at your residential rental buildings but you’re not sure how to get started, we can help. At
BanCal Property Management, we’ve been protecting investments like yours since 1987.
Owning multifamily property in San Francisco comes with a strong upside. It also comes with a long list of exposures that can erode that upside quickly if the wrong thing happens and the right coverage is not in place. Insurance is not the most exciting part of property ownership, but it is one of the most consequential. Getting it wrong does not show up until something goes wrong, and by then the cost of the gap is already set. Here is what a well-structured multifamily insurance program actually looks like and where San Francisco owners most commonly fall short.
This is a subtitle for your new pSecurity deposit disputes are one of the most common ways landlords end up in small claims court, and most of the time it is not because a landlord acted in bad faith. It is because the paperwork was not done correctly, the deadline was missed, or a fee was labeled the wrong way. In California, the rules are specific and the penalties for getting them wrong are automatic. Here is what every San Francisco property owner needs to know.
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