Strata Industry Expert Advice brought to you by Jeff Shawcross, Director, QUATRIX Security & Intercoms
For all Australians, your home is the place where you expect to feel the most comfort and safety. This is no different when living in a strata building. Everyone wants to return to their home knowing that their unit, car and storage area in the garage is nice and safe.
While it’s almost impossible to guarantee this, there are certainly measures your strata building can put in place to provide peace of mind for your residents. An appropriate electronic security system and an actively engaged Committee, Building Manager and Security Company, can make all the difference in creating a sense of security for your building.
All buildings are different and depending on the location, type of residents and design of the building, security needs will vary. But for fifteen years, Quatrix has been installing security systems in common areas of strata buildings, so we’ve seen a thing or two when it comes to the main safety issues that repeatedly come up.
Vulnerable Areas of the Common Property in a building
Common property is one of the beauties of strata living, by creating a wonderful, shared space for residents to enjoy and spend time. A place where neighbours can bond, kids can play, and group BBQs can be enjoyed.
But it’s also the area most likely to be abused by inconsiderate tenants and is often seen as an easy target for theft and damage. These issues can create plenty of headaches for Owners Corporations, because lots of money is often spent fixing up these issues.
What are the main risks to be managed?
- Theft from the garages.
- Damage to cars in the garage.
- Damage to foyers, lifts and garage doors.
- Garbage bins not being used correctly
- Furniture dumping by relocating residents
- Mailbox theft
- WH&S slips and falls by residents (wet floor etc)
- Graffiti
Want to reduce your building’s risk? Technology is here to help
- CCTV cameras
- Access Control on the front door and in the lift
- Intercom with WIFI APP to allow easy access for home deliveries
Quatrix has created a blog series which will be published in the next four editions of the Strata Owners newsletter. Providing you with relevant and up-to-date information on how electronic systems can help you manage your common areas effectively.
- The vulnerable areas of the common property and how a Security system can help manage them
- Common points of failure in strata security
- The new generation of technology in strata security
- What to ask for when planning a security system upgrade
Make sure you check into the next edition of the Strata Owners Newsletter for tips on the most vulnerable areas and how to best protect them.