Living in an apartment doesn't mean that you need to neglect the security of your belongings or yourself when you're at home. While you obviously cannot drill an apartment door to add another deadbolt or run wires through the walls for cameras and alarms, there are some very lightweight options that can be installed temporarily in an apartment and which can also then come with you when you leave. Note a few of your choices here and then discuss these with a home security expert and your landlord as needed.
1. Wireless cameras
Wireless cameras work to send images over your Wi-Fi, so that you can log onto a secured website or have the image transmitted to your smartphone. This allows you to monitor your apartment with the camera without running wires that connect to a recording device. Whether or not you can record the images as the camera transmits them will depend on the program you get and type of camera. These can be worth the investment if you travel often and want to ensure you have a recorded image of someone breaking in, of the landlord entering without your permission, and the like.
2. Contact sensors
Contact sensors are stick-on sensors that you would apply to doors and windows, and these come in two pieces that sit right next to each other; for doors, one would go on the door itself and another on the doorjamb. For windows, one would sit on the window pane and one on the frame. When you turn on the sensors, if they are moved out of place such as by someone opening the door or window, they will sound an alarm. This provides a lightweight alarm system that you operate with the flip of a switch, and which can be easily removed when you leave the apartment.
3. Inside motion detectors
When you live in an apartment you may not be allowed to install motion detectors with lights outside the building, but motion detectors with connected lights that you plug into the wall can switch on automatically when they sense motion inside your apartment. Some even have smart features that can tell the difference between your cat jumping on a couch and someone walking across the room. Having a light come on unexpectedly can be enough to scare away any intruder, and since the motion detectors plug in, you don't need to worry about wiring them into your apartment's electrical circuits.
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