In an apartment development, almost every security problem happens in the shared areas: the car park, the bike store, the bin room, the stairwells and the entrance doors. These are the spaces that belong to everybody and nobody, so problems are noticed late and reported to the management company after the fact.

This guide is for owners' management companies (OMCs), their boards and managing agents who want to deal with those problems properly.

Start with what is actually happening

Before spending money, get a clear picture. Ask residents and the agent's team to report incidents in one place for a few weeks: bike thefts, car break-ins, doors found propped open, people sleeping in stairwells, dumping in the bin store, damage to the gates. Note the time, the place and what happened. A pattern almost always appears, and it tells you where to spend.

Fix the building first

Many problems come from the building rather than from a lack of security staff:

  • Doors that do not close. Fire doors and entrance doors with weak closers or faulty maglocks are the most common way in. Get them repaired and checked regularly.
  • Car park gates and shutters. A gate that stays open too long lets people walk in behind cars. Check the closing times and the safety sensors.
  • Access fobs. Fobs that are lost, lent or kept by former tenants let anyone in. Keep a register, deactivate missing fobs and charge for replacements.
  • Bike stores. Use proper stands bolted to the floor, a separate fob-controlled door and good lighting.
  • Lighting. Dark corners in car parks and around bin stores invite trouble. Replace failed lights quickly.

Cameras, done properly

CCTV on entrances, car park ramps, bike stores and bin rooms helps to identify who is responsible and deters casual misuse. Because it records residents and their visitors, it must be set up with care:

  • cameras only in shared areas, never pointed into apartments or private balconies;
  • clear signs at each entrance saying who operates the system and why;
  • a written policy covering who may view footage and how long it is kept, usually no more than a month unless there is an incident;
  • a process for residents who ask for a copy of footage of themselves.

Our guide to CCTV and GDPR covers these rules in more detail.

Patrols or an officer on site?

For most developments, mobile patrols at varied times are the right starting point. An officer visits several times a night, walks the car park, bike store, bin room and common areas, checks doors and gates, moves on people who should not be there and records every visit. The agent receives the patrol reports and can share them with the board.

Larger developments, or those with a concierge desk, may justify an officer on site in the evenings or overnight. A concierge or night officer gives residents somebody to go to, controls the front door and responds immediately.

Keys and out-of-hours problems

Lift faults, flooding, stuck car park barriers and fire alarm activations happen at night as often as by day. With key holding, a security company holds keys for plant rooms, risers, gates and common doors, and can let the right contractor in at 3am without the agent having to attend.

What to ask a security company

  • Is the company and every officer licensed by the PSA? (See how to check.)
  • Will the patrol times vary, and how many visits will there be each night?
  • What exactly is checked on each visit, and how is it reported?
  • Who do residents and the agent contact out of hours?
  • How quickly do officers attend a call-out, honestly, for this address?

We work with owners' management companies and managing agents across Dublin. Read about our residential security or ask us to look at your development.