Condominium Management | Controlled Building Access Planning

Safety for every member of the community is a high priority for most condominium associations. You want everyone to feel secure in their own homes, especially if there has been recent upheaval in the community. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to increase the security of your building or buildings--especially if you institute a controlled access building that prevents access by unauthorized individuals. 

Start with a Security Plan

Before you decide on a controlled access building, create a security plan. This plan will ensure that every step you take to raise the security of your community is done efficiently and deliberately, rather than wasting money on things that the building or community does not need. Your security plan should include:

• Set clear goals for security within the association. For example, do you want to prevent unauthorized access to your buildings? Provide your homeowners with a greater sense of security? Knowing what you're trying to accomplish with your security efforts will make it easier to put a plan in place and follow it. 
• Information about how you plan to accomplish your goals.
• A price breakdown to help you prioritize and determine what security measures are within your current budget. 

The more detailed your security plan, the better the odds that it will be followed over the coming years. 

Duty of Care

As the Board of Directors of a condominium association, it is important for you to understand the duty of care the association has to homeowners within the community. Are you responsible for maintaining the security of the building, or is that up to the homeowners themselves? While there might be a question of legality, there are several things you should consider when contemplating your duty of care for the homeowners within your community.

• In many instances, the condominium association is responsible for taking care of the concerns of the unit owners--and that includes items like controlled access buildings, which can help build the condo's security. 
• If homeowners are bringing up security concerns, it's important that you take them seriously. If they want controlled access buildings, but you think it's too much effort or expense, consider what will happen in the event of a break-in or other security-related problem. 
• A lack of duty does not have to prevent you from caring. If there is a concern about the security of a building, taking steps to address it will protect its residents--and that's a cost that's well worth it. 

Physical Security Changes that Make a Big Difference

The physical security of a building is one of the biggest priorities of many homeowners. Luckily, there are several simple steps you can take to help control access to the condo building at large. These simple steps can make a big difference in the overall security of your condominium association.

• Use key fobs to allow access to the building. 
• Have doors that close automatically and buzz when left open to let security or residents know that the building isn't secure.
• Install panic buttons that will allow residents to summon security if they feel threatened or believe that there's someone in the building who shouldn't be.
• Provide bright lighting both around the condo and in any common areas. 
• Install cameras that are designed for the area in which they will be used. 

Keep in mind that your security budget will not end with the installation of these items. You will also need to conduct regular maintenance to keep them running as efficiently as possible. 

Controlled access to buildings is, in general, a fairly simple security solution that can go a long way toward raising resident confidence and comfort. If you're still thinking about the security plan that's right for your condominium association, consider the benefits of this type of security for each resident. Controlled access is particularly important if there are vulnerable members of your community who might not be able to reach help quickly: seniors and single mothers, for example. By carefully considering the actual security needs of your community, including controlled access buildings, you can transform your community and make it safer for everyone.

Interested in learning more about access control for your condominium association? Contact a provider of condominium management services today!