How best to manage access control in an apartment block?

[Leanne Hunt]

I am having some trouble keeping tenants in my 8-unit apartment block. Some tenants have broken leases on account of getting into debt but it seems security may be an issue. The block is set close to the street with a wrought-iron gate leading up a short path to a set of glass doors. Neither the gate nor the doors have locks. I have looked into several methods to improve security and would appreciate some thoughts from the community. Should I go for remote to open the gate and keys for the glass door? Should I go the whole hog and emply a security guard? Or should I opt for the digi-pad where tenants enter a pin at the gate, and where each flat has its own telephone intercom with a button to admit visitors? I'm worried about incurring lots of repair costs if the equipment gets broken.

[Colleen F.]

I have been looking into locks and keypad locks are a good option. If the glass doors do not lock I would look to replace or add a lock. Mechanical keypad locks are available for your gate I would think, they are push button and do not need a battery.  Electronic is another option but you need to change the battery. If you have a pretty unsophisticated set of tenants I would add mechanical keypad locks and assign them codes. If you do this you just delete users when they move.   I would not like glass doors for security but if that is usual in your area and they have not been broken into it is less expensive to keep them. I am not sure how well they would work with the locks I have seen.  An intercom system someone else would need to comment on, it is only usual in bigger buildings by us.  For our building they can leave the door unlocked although I prefer they don't  or just go let someone in. I have looked at other options but the newer locks and temporary  key codes are not really where we would want them to be yet, they are not simple enough.