These days, more and more people are living in apartments rather than traditional houses. When moving into a new apartment, there are many safety precautions that you should take to make sure that you and your family are protected. Some are measures that need to be considered when choosing an apartment and others are steps that you need to take after you move in.
To help keep you and your family safe, here are 4 safety tips for your new apartment.
- Avoid Ground Floor Apartments
Ground floor apartments are the most vulnerable apartments when it comes to burglary, home invasions, and vandalism. Especially if you are living alone, it is usually advisable to avoid ground floor apartments altogether. Whilst upper floor apartments have balconies, ground floor apartments will have patios and sliding doors which puts them at high risk of a break-in. If you are moving into an apartment complex, there may be some security around the complex which means that a ground floor apartment could be safe. Many apartment complexes these days are gated communities with CCTV and 24-hour security guards, but even with these measures in place, as a general rule, the higher the level, the safer the apartment.
- Get a Gun to Protect Your Family
There are around 400 million guns in the US and for many families, guns are seen as the best possible way to protect your family. Gun laws vary state to state, but all American citizens are entitled to own a gun as long as they are not excluded due to certain factors like a criminal record or a history of mental illness. Gun safety is very important so if you are planning on getting a gun, make sure that you know how to discharge it safely, and keep it in a place where young children cannot get access to it. One great way to keep your gun and secure it in a gun safe. We searched online and found detailed reviews of the best gun safes for apartments. A good gun safe should be secure, must provide quick access in emergencies, and, if you are planning to use it in an apartment, must be compact. Gun safes ensure that your gun is there when you need it, but that it can’t be misplaced or fall into the wrong hands.
- Check Your Apartment’s Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors Regularly
Regularly checking your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors is so important for keeping your apartment and your family safe. There are thousands of deaths around the world due to carbon monoxide poisoning and when you move into a new apartment, you should confirm with your landlord or with the previous owner that all boilers and heating systems have been checked for leaks or other malfunctions. A leak of carbon monoxide is so dangerous because carbon monoxide has no odor so it often kills people in their sleep. Likewise, check your smoke alarms and changing the batteries regularly is vital for avoiding fires or smoke suffocation. In particular, if you live in an apartment on a high floor, a fire can be deadly and so you must take the adequate steps to prevent a fire or at least to detect it as early as possible.
- Familiarize Yourself with Your Building’s Fire Safety Procedures
By law, all apartment blocks and complexes must have comprehensively planned safety procedures that should be followed in the event of a fire. It is very important for you and your family’s safety that you familiarize yourself with these procedures to ensure that you know what to do if a fire breaks out. Locate your nearest fire exit and make sure that your children are well versed in what they need to do. These fire safety procedures are usually also followed in the event of a natural disaster or some other kind of emergency, so if you live in an area that is susceptible to earthquakes or hurricanes, it is very important to know the right steps to take. In the event of a fire or natural disaster, elevators should usually not be used so if you live on a very high floor, it is important to get moving early to get down all the flights of stairs.
There are many important steps to take to ensure the safety and security of your new apartment. When viewing potential apartments, pay careful attention to the safety features and keep an eye out for any potential hazards or safety issues. It is vital to take any steps necessary to protect your home and your family. Follow this guide whenever you move into a new apartment.