A Body Corporates property’s security is among the highest priorities for Body Corporate committees, owners and prospective buyers alike. It’s natural to want to feel safe and secure at home. While routinely reviewing your lot’s security is important, it’s also crucial to consider your Body Corporate property’s security as a whole. After all, when it comes to community living, keeping each other safe is a team effort.
If you feel your Body Corporate property isn’t as secure as it could be, fear not — there are ways to make improvements. While some methods may be costly and require the input of the entire owners corporation, others can be actioned quite quickly and easily by Body Corporate committees, owners and residents.
Here are 5 things committees and owners can do to increase a Body Corporate property’s security:
1. Install CCTV cameras: Well-placed and well-managed CCTV cameras can drastically increase your Body Corporate property’s security factor. If your property has experienced recent break-ins or there has been an increase in crime in your neighborhood, it may be wise to consider having CCTV cameras placed strategically to monitor areas like the driveway and entrances to your Body Corporate property.
As installing CCTV cameras would involve making alterations to existing common property areas, the committee will need to discuss the matter and have a related by-law passed before installing them.
2. Install motion-activated lighting: It’s no surprise that break-ins are less likely to occur in well-lit areas. If your strata property does not have adequate lighting in the driveway, the garage, entryways or hallways, you may consider installing motion-activated lighting in these areas. Motion-activated lighting may increase your strata property’s security by triggering whenever motion is detected in a nominated area and staying on for a designated amount of time. This option is more energy-efficient than permanent lighting, as the lighting is only active when people are using the nominated areas, and may also deter criminals from entering or lingering in your property’s parameters. If your property has CCTV cameras installed, having motion-activated lighting installed in the areas being monitored will also help.
As installing motion-activated lighting would involve alterations to existing common property areas, the strata committee may need to discuss the matter and have a related motion passed before installing.
3. Review window and door security regularly: It would be wise for committee members and owners alike to regularly check all lot and common property doors and windows, to maintain your strata property’s security. As buckled windows and doors or ones that do not close or seal property may provide vantage points for intruders, they should be fixed or replaced with urgency.
If your strata property has self-closing doors, ensure the main entry doors to your complex close at an acceptable speed to reduce the likelihood of intruders slipping into the complex close behind authorised residents or visitors. Entry and exit doors should always be closed when not in use.
4. Contact a master locksmith when changing or servicing locks: The locks on doors and windows within individual lots and common property areas are often the first line of protection against intruders and unwanted visitors. Knowing this, it’s important to ensure these locks are installed and serviced by qualified locksmiths so that your Body Corporates property’s security is not compromised.
5. Review and upgrade your access control cards and fobs: While access control cards and fobs can improve your Body Corporate property’s security factors, it may still be possible for them to be duplicated and shared with unauthorised people. To prevent this, we recommend opting for encrypted access control cards and fobs, which are far more challenging to duplicate. It is also wise for Body Corporate committees to review the list of active access control cards and fobs, and deactivate any that are no longer in use, on a regular basis.
As your Body Corporate Property Manager, we can help you maintain and update records of active access cards and fobs.
