Best Security System For Apartment in 2025

What’s the best security system for apartments? One that provides peace of mind for you and safety for your tenants!

Keeping your property safe and attractive to renters is key.

However, traditional security systems can be a hassle for renters to install and might not fit within their budget.

In this blog, we will find a security system for apartment that is easy to install, deters break-ins, and might even give you an edge in attracting quality tenants.

Your search for a convenient apartment security system is over. Read our blog to discover why remote video monitoring might be the perfect solution for your apartment building!

Why choose a security system for your apartment?

Living in an apartment brings unique security concerns. Common safety issues in apartment buildings include package theft, burglaries, loitering, bike theft, and fire hazards.

To tackle package theft, check out our detailed insights on how to prevent package theft in apartments.

Here is the most common safety issues in apartment buildings:

Package theft:

Package theft is a very serious issue in condos or apartments! Normally parcels are delivered between 9 am to 8 pm , when most apartment renters are working or busy running errands or practicing an activity! 

Porch pirates or robbers can quickly make away with unattended parcels left in the hallways or corridors. Despite law imposing heavy fines and even imprisonment for parcel thieves, it’s still not enough to deter them.

On average, stolen packages cost victims $219. The need of the hour is to look for a reliable security system to safeguard deliveries.

Burglaries: 

Most burglaries of apartments  occur during the daytime when residents are in school or at work.

The apartment burglars break a window, pry open a door, or disable a lock to gain entry. Believe it or not, simply forgetting to lock a door or window is a frequent way burglars enter apartments, especially on lower floors.

Apartment buildings with poor security systems allow people or vehicles to tailgate. These skilled criminals then pose as a delivery person, service worker, or even another resident to gain entry.

And you know what? They can pick locks in seconds with minimal noise or damage.

Loitering: 

Sometimes people stay in common areas such as swimming pool areas, parking lots, or maybe even corridors for extended periods. This can raise security concerns because loiterers are the terror of apartment buildings! 

In simple terms, loiterers intentionally linger with the potential to cause harm. They might be scoping out apartments for break-ins, using the space for illegal activities, or harassing residents. A big security risk!

A good surveillance system allows security personnel to address potential threats effectively and deter potentially dangerous loiterers.

For detailed strategies on enhancing your surveillance capabilities and managing loitering concerns, our multi-family residential live video monitoring blog offers extensive information and practical tips.

Bike theft:

Bike theft is a growing concern, and while news outlets often highlight various theft types such as smash-and-grab and car theft, bicycle thefts are also escalating.

Apartment bike storage areas might be less secure than designated locked bike rooms found in some condo complexes.

Shockingly, almost 4,000 bikes were stolen, in Toronto in 2020, with a third of these thefts occurring at apartment complexes.

To enhance security in outdoor areas, our parking lot security services offer comprehensive protection for tenants’ bicycles and vehicles, ensuring a safer environment for all your belongings.

For deeper insights into the broader issue of vehicle theft, check out our detailed analysis of the most stolen vehicles in Canada.

Fire hazards: 

Fire hazards in apartment buildings don’t just ruin one floor; they can cause harm to many floors above and below. Unattended cooking is a major fire hazard in condos!

Faulty wiring or overloaded circuits cause approximately 30 % of the fires, especially in older condo buildings.

Storing flammable materials like grills or pool chemicals on balconies can create a fire hazard and potentially spread flames to neighboring units.

Sometimes the silliest mistakes such as discarded cigarettes or improper disposal of smoking materials can ignite fires!

Top 8 features of the best security system for apartment buildings:

1. Surveillance cameras:

The first step you take after deciding to install the best suitable security system in your apartment building is definitely strategic placement of CCTV surveillance cameras. 

Best places for installing security cameras:

Exterior:

• Main Entry & Exit Points: This includes the main entrance door, lobby area, and any secondary entrances with keypad access or call boxes.
• Parking Lots & Garages: Cameras should cover all parking areas, entry/exit points, and walkways. Try license plate cameras for parking lots.
• Perimeter: Strategically place cameras along the perimeter fence line or building walls, capturing activity around dumpsters, stairwells, and fire escapes.
• Loading Docks & Trash Areas: Monitor these areas to deter unauthorized access and potential vandalism.

Now that you have the best outdoor security system for your apartment, you also need to address surveillance gaps inside the building.

Here are the top recommended CCTV security camera placements inside the apartment building:

• Hallways: Cameras should cover common hallways on each floor, capturing activity near elevators, stairwells, and laundry rooms.
• Elevators: Install cameras inside elevators and at entry/exit points on each floor.
• Laundry Rooms: Monitor activity in laundry rooms to deter theft, vandalism, and prevent lewd laundry incidents.

2. Remote gate access control:

Tenants use their key cards or passes to automatically enter the parking lot. However, for unique visitors or in cases of lost or forgotten keys, remote gate access control as part of the security system ensures top security in apartment buildings.

When a visitor or a tenant in need of help arrives at the gate, they press on a button. A video alarm is promptly sent to a live video monitoring center where a diligent operator connects with the guest via bidirectional audio and unidirectional video. 

The operator can check credentials and ask questions to make sure of the individual’s right to enter the property. Once verified, the operator remotely opens the gate.

This solution allows to stop unauthorized entry and its inherent risks.

3. Remote concierge: 

Similar to remote gate access control, remote concierge supervises the apartment building’s entrance. When a guest or a tenant in need of help arrives at the front door, they push a button. 

Then, a video alarm is sent to the remote video monitoring center where operators are ready to respond. Just like an on-site concierge, the remote concierge can verify IDs, grant or deny access, and oversee package deliveries using different types of CCTV security cameras, effectively handling various security situations.

4. Smoke and fire detection AI:

AI-powered video analytics, a key technology, detects smoke and fire faster and more accurately compared to traditional sensors. 

So you get quicker response times by emergency services, minimizing damage and saving lives.

The best part? Unlike human security guards, smoke and fire detection AI operates 24/7, providing constant vigilance for fire threats even outside regular building staff hours.

5. Tailgating detection of vehicles: 

Leveraging sophisticated AI analytics combined with CCTV camera monitoring, the system is designed to detect when more than one vehicle tries to pass through an entry point simultaneously. This detection is key to identifying potential tailgating incidents.

Upon identifying a possible tailgating detection of vehicles event, a video alarm is instantly relayed to Sirix’s command center. There, security professionals review the footage to confirm whether tailgating has occurred.

After a tailgating incident is verified, Sirix operators take swift action. They notify the designated emergency contacts, empowering your team to respond promptly and prevent the situation from worsening.

This swift response mechanism is crucial in mitigating the risks associated with vehicle tailgating.

6. Loiterers detection: 

Traditional home alarm systems can go off when they detect movement, an intruder or perhaps broken glass, but do you know what a first-class remote video surveillance system detects?

A person staying in the area longer than the threshold is flagged as a potential loiterer, enhancing loiterers detection. The system is programmed with a specific time limit.

As soon as the AI security camera detects a person in the monitored area for longer than permitted, it triggers an alarm at the remote video monitoring station. There, a trained operator swiftly takes prompt action according to pre-established SOPs.

7. Elevator video monitoring: 

Security in an apartment building is not just about preventing theft. It’s about ensuring overall safety, whether tenants are parking their cars, visiting the gym, using the swimming pool or taking the elevator.

Remote video surveillance offers the best security system for apartment elevators. 

Elevator video monitoring allows for checking inside the cabin once the emergency button is pressed. If connected to a remote video monitoring center, remote operators can confirm entrapment or other emergencies.

Operators can then dispatch the appropriate help and maintain communication with the person in distress until help arrives.

8. Emergency intercom management:

Live video surveillance of apartments offers comprehensive security throughout the building. Emergency intercom monitoring systems can be installed in all public areas as well as in every residential unit and linked to a security operations center.

If a resident or visitor is in trouble or distress, they can press the button and reach the remote operator in the security center. The operator will immediately provide the appropriate assistance.

If a resident uses the emergency intercom, a trained member of staff will answer the call and can dispatch the appropriate help (security service, police, fire department) more quickly than if they were to rely solely on the building management or on-site security service, which are not always immediately available.

Top-rated security systems for apartments in 2025:

Conclusion: 

While there’s no single best security system for apartment buildings, remote video monitoring offers a winning combination for both you and your tenants. 

Features like strategic cameras, remote access control, and AI-powered fire detection create a safer environment, while loitering and tailgating prevention add another layer of security.

Upgrading your security translates to reduced crime, increased occupancy rates, and peace of mind for everyone.

Contact us today for a free consultation on modern security systems and discover the best security solutions for your apartment building and multi-family residential security.