- January 21, 2015
- Posted by: @dmin
- Category: Condo Property Management Services
As the City of Toronto continues to grow, residents of the city seek new places to live, and developers continue to build in order to accommodate the expanding population. Now more than ever there is a need for high-quality property management companies in Toronto to address the needs and wants of residents, particularly when it comes to the specialized area of high-rise condo living.
Security is one of the chief concerns of these residents and is of particular importance to Toronto condo property management companies. Toronto itself is generally seen as an extremely safe city. There are about 5600 police officers employed within the city, serving the nearly 3 million residents within the GTA. Toronto regularly has the lowest crime rate in all of Canada compared to other major cities in the country.
While this low crime rate is reassuring, residents still want to know that their homes are safe from intruders and that strangers are not regularly gaining access to the building. There are many things that residents and condo property management companies in Toronto can do to ensure a community remains safe.
1) Know the rules.
The rules, regulations, and bylaws for a condo community provide a number of insights into the safety measures that the community implements. This includes providing for security personnel, detailing under which circumstances guests can have access to the common elements of the building, and explaining any check-in procedures that residents must follow when they have visitors.
While some of these rules might seem onerous or complicated when it comes to compliance, they are there for a good reason. Without security procedures in place, it may become possible for undesirable individuals to gain access to the building. This opens the community up to risk and can heighten the number of break-ins, thefts, and other incidents.
It is up to Toronto condo property management companies working with the board of directors to ensure that all residents receive a copy of the rules and regulations prior to moving in, and that residents are notified of any changes in policies or procedures. This keeps everyone on the same page regarding security issues and makes for a safer community overall.
2) “Do” follow proper guidelines for authorizing guests; “do not” let strangers in the building.
If your condo has specific procedures for authorizing guests, then be sure to follow them. Many condos have security personnel at the door who will accept sign-ins from visitors. This may require you to call security and let them know the name and expected arrival time of any visitors you anticipate.
By the same token, it is important for you to avoid allowing people to access the building without authorization. It may seem polite to hold the door for someone walking in behind you. However, if it is not someone you recognize as a resident, you should be sure to advise them of the proper sign-in procedure or ask them to verify who they are visiting. Taking these simple precautions instead of just allowing in strangers can increase safety significantly.
3) Manage your keys and access cards.
You likely have a few different keys or swipe cards for use in your building. These include the key for any exterior doors, your unit door, key cards for gym or laundry facilities, and keys for your mailboxes or storage areas. You should keep these secure at all times and should not loan them out to unauthorized individuals. In addition, if you should lose your keys, you should notify your condo property management company in Toronto immediately so that measures can be taken to ensure residents’ safety, including changing locks or issuing new keys, depending on the circumstances.
4) “Do” cooperate with security staff on-site; “do not” take matters into your own hands.
Residents of condos live in close quarters at times, and it is important to maintain peace in the community. In as many circumstances as possible, it is ideal to resolve matters cooperatively with your neighbours. However, if tempers should get out of control, then it is often a better idea to involve on-site managers or security personnel rather than taking matters into your own hands and escalating a dispute. This is particularly important for avoiding property damage or physical altercations.
In addition, if an incident should happen on-site in your building, it is important to follow instructions given to you by management and security staff. This might mean vacating an area for a certain period of time or following other directions to avoid unsafe conditions. ICC® has experience in hiring and training qualified personnel who can handle incidents effectively on behalf of residents. If you are interested in learning more about our security and other condo services, we encourage you to contact us about putting together a proposal and seeing what we have to offer.
5) Ensure property managers and security staff are aware if police have been called.
There are times when police intervention is necessary. This is true despite the continued drop in crime that Toronto has been experiencing. In fact, crime was down by 2% in 2014, led in particular by a 30% decline in homicides. However, domestic disputes continue to arise periodically, and can sometimes become severe. Despite best efforts, crime still happens.
When something does happen in your complex, it is extremely important to bring your condo property management in Toronto on board as quickly as possible by notifying security or on-site personnel that the police are on the way. Some condos have policies for ensuring resident privacy and security and may even attempt to prevent police access without appropriate notification.
By following these few simple tips and guidelines, you and your fellow residents can enjoy a safer and more cooperative community.
