Small Apartment Owners-Who is your go-to for security?

[Patrick Menefee]

Hey BP fam,

I’m in the renovation process for an 8-unit apartment in a so-so area of town, and unfortunately during some down time on the project we had some copper stolen. It made me start thinking about an outdoor security system for the future once everything is up and running.

Do you have any recommendations? These are all units with exterior doors so there’s so shared hallway or anything like that, just a shared laundry room accessible from the exterior. Any equipment I can keep locked up in the laundry room with power and internet access.

I’m considering throwing up cameras all around the outside of the building, but trying to figure out the best bet for monitoring. I live in a different city so I’d like something with remote capabilities, ideally with storage on the cloud so I don’t have to worry about a hard drive filling up.

What have you used? What else should I consider? TIA!

[Greg Scott]

If you already have internet set up at the property, I love Reolink.  Super easy to set up. Only one wire to run since you can get POE.  Easily accessible by computer or phone with recordings.  Very expandable and inexpensive.  Here is one of my properties right now...

[Kim Meredith Hampton]

@Patrick Menefee it’s touch on those situations, but here are a few suggestions;

Cameras as you have stated, security company, guard dogs (there are companies that do this for hire), give a cop free rent for one of the units while under rehab, let one of the contractors stay while rehab is being performed. 

[Kelly Iannone]

@Patrick Menefee I have a 6-unit that is vacant and undergoing a gut rehab. We are using SimpliSafe. We have (3) cameras and (6) motion sensors (one in each unit).

They don’t seem to have outdoor cameras, just a rubber kit you put over the indoor camera. The range on the motion sensors are pretty good, the furthest unit from the base station goes through 2 concrete walls and a concrete ceiling.

My biggest complaint is that all (3) cameras should record when one of them senses motion; opposed to just the one.

We did have a break in and the sensors went off, SimpliSafe called us then the police, and we watched & listened as the police questioned this individual for an hour.

[William Costello]

@Patrick Menefee SimpliSafe is a great resource as well as local security companies that could have someone actually on the property. Good luck!