Enterphone-panel timer improves apartment security

Question: I live in an apartment building that has just spent several hundred dollars on security upgrades. My concern is that we have a few owners that let strangers into the building through the enterphone panel without checking credentials. How can we control this problem?

Fourchalk: You have just addressed one of greatest problems in apartment building security. This situation is hard to regulate. Your building is only as secure as its weakest owner.

One way to help control this problem is to install a timer on your enterphone panel. This timer would restrict the hours that would allow residents to buzz people into the building from their suite. Let's say the timer is set from 10 p.m. until 8 a.m. Between those hours, the residents have to come down to the front door and let their visitors in. With this system you acquire a little inconvenience but gain a lot of security.

Make sure that your building also has a timer installed on your postal lock to restrict postal entry times. This will help stop illegal entry attempts through these locks.

Make sure all lock restriction timers are installed in your building's electrical rooms.