If you live in a shared building or are in charge of taking care of one, it is very important that you and the other people who live there stay safe. Because of how communal blocks are set up, there will be more people there than in other neighborhoods, and they will also live much closer to each other. This can mean that safety is a concern and that there are some rules that should be followed so that everyone can live happily and healthily. Find out what they are by reading on.

Photo by Expect Best

Use A Security Company 

A professional security company could help keep everyone safe and sound in a building where people live together. Housing associations and landlords put a lot of thought into the safety of apartment buildings, and keeping tenants happy and safe is good for everyone.

By putting in secure entryways and gates, as well as multi unit intercom systems, you add an extra layer of safety that will make everyone’s homes much more enjoyable.

Keep Hallways Clear 

Sometimes the hallways in apartment buildings can get a lot of stuff in them. If the items are blocking the hallways or could cause someone to trip, they should be moved. In an ideal world, hallways should only be used for walking, but if things need to be stored there, they should be put to the side so people can get through.

Getting To Know People

Doing what they do in over 55 communities and getting to know people can also be an excellent way to keep a block safe. When individuals understand who should be on-site, it makes a massive difference because intruders stand out like sore thumbs. Nobody recognizes them, immediately raising the alarm and causing an alert. It’s not identical to community neighborhood watch, but it is pretty close and works informally, meaning you don’t have to pay someone to keep watch, like a concierge, the whole time.

Lighting 

Lighting is an important part of making sure your apartment building is safe. This means that there needs to be lighting both outside and inside (in public areas), which will make darker areas much more attractive and safer.

Regular Maintenance 

As well as making sure there are safety measures in the common areas and outside your building, you will also need to set up a schedule for regular maintenance. This will keep everything in good condition.

Emergency Maintenance 

Emergency maintenance is very important if you want to keep your apartment building safe and secure. If a lightbulb goes out or a gate gets broken, for example, someone needs to be there as soon as possible to fix things. Similarly, if the elevator breaks down due to faulty sheaves, replacing sheaves should be your first priority. If you hire a third party to do this kind of work, make sure they have both a plan for emergency repairs and a regular schedule of repairs.

Tenants’ Responsibility 

Even though the landlord or housing association will have to do some of the work to keep a shared building safe, it should also be up to each tenant to keep their own space safe. Make sure all of your tenants know what is expected of them so they can do it.

Functioning Smoke Alarms 

In the past few years, we’ve learned the hard way just how much damage a fire can do to a building where people live closely together. Therefore it’s very important that the smoke alarms in the apartments and public areas work. These must be checked often (which can be part of the maintenance schedule).

Risk Assessment 

Doing a risk assessment is the best way to find out where the real dangers are in a communal building. Think about the area from a neutral point of view and figure out how safe and secure each part is. Then you can work on making any changes that need to be made.