Crayford, Kent · DA1
Flats and apartments: weak points and what to fit
Individual flat security sits inside a communal building the resident does not control. This page works through the entry points that matter on flats and apartments and what is worth fitting because of them.
- Property type: flats and apartments
- Lead service: access control
- Most exposed point: Ground-floor or balcony windows
Most exposed
Ground-floor or balcony windows
Fit first
Door entry with individual fobs rather than a shared code
Constraint
Leaseholders should check the lease for restrictions on drilling external walls or the communal fabric.
How these homes are lived in
Individual flat security sits inside a communal building the resident does not control.
What makes this property type harder to secure
- Tailgating at the communal door
- Any door entry system is only as good as the habit of not holding the door for a stranger, and delivery traffic makes that habit hard to keep.
- Trade release codes
- A single shared code passed to delivery drivers spreads well beyond the building and is almost never changed.
The routes that get tried
On flats and apartments it is rarely the front door.
- Ground-floor or balcony windows
- Communal front door held open or tailgated
Before you commit, note this
- Leaseholders should check the lease for restrictions on drilling external walls or the communal fabric.
What earns its place here
- Door entry with individual fobs rather than a shared code
- A fob can be revoked when it is lost or a tenancy ends; a code cannot be un-shared.
- Camera at the communal entrance under the building's control
- Entrance coverage belongs to the freeholder or managing agent, with signage and a stated retention period.
Break-glass and exit device systems: a good fit or not
The manual override hardware fitted alongside electronic door locking to guarantee an occupant can always exit, whether by breaking a call-point-style unit or pressing a dedicated exit button.
- Any electronically locked door on an escape route
- Where it stops being the right answer: a break-glass unit that has been activated needs resetting and rearming, which is a process staff need to know.
The follow-up call: alarm keypad screen completely blank
Keypad shows no display or backlight at all, that is one of the more common calls once a system has been in for a few years.
Before booking anyone, look for any loose or damaged cabling visible at the keypad itself. Have any wiring near keypads and control panels checked whenever other building work takes place nearby, since accidental damage is a common cause.
The mistake we see on this property type
A camera fitted by one resident pointing at the shared landing, which creates a dispute with neighbours and a data protection complaint.
Notes from Crayford
Across the DA1 postcodes, a206 corridor properties see drive-by attempts, visible front cameras and motion-trigger lighting at side gates are the proven deterrents.
Crayford questions we get asked
Flats and apartments: weak points and what to fit
Local detail for Crayford
- Written specification supplied with every quotation
- Takeover and repair of systems installed by others
- Domestic and commercial work handled by the same team
Have a look round the property first
Plenty of people ring with a shopping list from a comparison site. We would rather talk about where the sensors go than which box they arrived in.
Speak to an engineerGet Your Free Quote
A few quick details, no email needed.