If you want to ensure resident happiness and retention, their privacy and safety should be of utmost importance at your multifamily property or apartment complex. To make sure all residents feel safe, install cameras in common areas near doors, around main hallways, and most importantly in parking areas. This will deter non-residents from slipping in unnoticed with regular residents and also ensures there is always video evidence in the unfortunate case of a crime at your property. There are a few important things to look for when choosing the right video surveillance service for your property:
- It Consistently Records Motion Events 24/7: Modern security cameras and surveillance software can be easily configured to record only when a motion event is detected. This way you won’t waste storage by constantly recording, even when nothing important is happening. The right surveillance solution can also easily create alerts when a person or car enters into a region of interest in the camera’s view.
- It Enables You to Look at Your Live Footage and Archives Remotely: The days of the DVR in the closet method to surveillance are over. The best security surveillance solutions are now browser-based, meaning you can access live views of all your cameras as well as previously recorded motion events from anywhere you have internet access. Can you imagine having to crowd in a dark and dusty closet to look at a screen hooked up to a DVR in the event of a criminal incident on your property? If this sounds like your current approach to security, it might be time to update. This video surveillance solution allows you to access your camera views from any device at any time.
- It Produces High-Resolution Video & Images: There is truly no point in investing in a video surveillance system if the picture and images are too grainy or dark to even see the property clearly. In an event of an incident, you don’t want to be straining in order to see the shadow of a figure and in video surveillance, you can never be too safe. A clear picture is incredibly important for any type of forensic review or prosecution for criminal activity.
- It Is flexible. You’ll want the option to add additional cameras later on, should another area require surveillance. Or, if you make changes to your facility (maybe a new common room or laundry room is a future possibility), you’ll want to be able to change security system components to cover those new additions. Don’t get caught in the trap of “owning” your cameras that essentially turn into bricks after you stop paying for a particular surveillance solution.
- It Can be installed in a Variety of Environments: Many areas of your multifamily building, not just the interiors, should be covered by cameras. In fact, many of the most expensive assets at a property are outside and exposed to the elements. Make sure that your cameras have housings that can handle weather extremes, including cold temperatures and water in the form of rain or snow.
Whether discreetly placed or not, you will want to tell your residents their safety is being ensured with a video surveillance system. Not only will this deter illegal or disruptive activity from tenants, but signage that shows an area is under video surveillance is known to deter criminal activity for trespassers and vandals. Place these signs all over your property, especially in parking garages, common areas, and exteriors of buildings where there is low light.