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Apart from providing clean and attractive rental homes across Western Canada to help our residents live better, one of our top commitment is resident safety. We reached out to the Alberta Residential Landlord Association and Edmonton Police Service to learn some of the best practices to assist in keeping both you and your valuables safe. 

Did You Know? One in five Canadians will be victimized by crime this year, 70% of them through property crime. Just as you may normally research items you may be interested in online, criminals now do the same. In years past, many crimes were done more trial and error but with the increase of digital how-tos increasing at an alarming rate, it can be as simple as typing in "how to break into…." within a YouTube search and thousands of results are generated. How are you going to stay a step ahead to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property? Begin by reviewing the outlined tips below and make plans to implement some of these tips into your everyday routines. 

Building/Unit Entrance and Exit Safety Tips: 

• Ensure doors are securely shut and locked - whether you are entering or exiting the building or your private suite, be sure doors are securely shut and locked. If you have an automatic garage door to a parking area, wait for the door to close all the way before leaving. Lock your suite behind you upon re-entering your home. 

• Close, lock and cover suite windows – do not let prying eyes know when you are not home or provide them with an opportunity to view inside your suite. Be sure to close, lock and then cover your windows by drawing your drapes or closing your blinds in your absence. 

• Do not allow others in – even though it is human nature to hold the door open and to help others, entering your apartment building is not the place to be helpful. Similar to you, those who should be granted access to the building will have their own keys, keycard, fob or passcode. For visitors of fellow residents or building staff, they can contact them directly to meet them at the door. 

• Know your fire escape route – know and walk your building escape route to familiarize yourself regularly. The next time you may need to use it, it could be filled with other residents, filled with smoke or other obstacles. Knowing escape or exit routes well could save your life. 

  In-Home Living Tips: 

• Do not use your balcony as a storage locker – balconies are easy targets for thieves. Even if you do not live on the ground floor, your items can be seen from street level and all a thief would require is access into the building to then find your suite and balcony of offerings. Keep your items in your suite or in a storage locker. If you absolutely need to keep items on your balcony, ensure they are properly secured. 

• Meet your neighbours – those who know one another are more likely to keep an eye out for suspicious activity and provide a warning if something seems out of place. 

• Invest in an in-home safe – keep your valuables secure. You may even want to consider a fireproof safe for important documents.

• Avoid unnecessary advertising through your garbage – be aware of what you throw out! Receipts for exciting purchases, documents with details such as your name and suite number linking you to the building, etc... all could share too much information with would-be thieves.  

• Do not share holiday photos on social media until after you return – showcasing images on your social media accounts while on holiday announces the vacancy of your suite. 

• Close your blinds in the evenings – having your lights on within your home and blinds open during evening hours can place you on your own private stage for the world to see. Keep yourself and your valuables from being targeted by thieves and close the blinds. 

• Vehicle contents – there is a simple rule to remember: if you would not leave it on the hood of your car, do not leave it in your car. Everything has a value to someone, and people have their vehicles broken into for something as insignificant as loose change. 

• Record serial numbers – take images of important possessions and record serial numbers in a cloud-based system to easily prove proof of ownership should you have a break-in. 

• Invest in contents insurance – there are a variety of affordable and easy to access insurance plans available to assist in ensuring your contents are replaced should you experience theft. 

Tips for personal safety: 

• Be attentive to your surroundings – look around you and make eye contact with those you encounter. 

• Trust your gut – if you have a strange feeling about a situation, most likely there is a reason for it. Don't brush it off. Move to a well-lit area or where there are other people.

• Do not resist giving up items/vehicle if confronted - your safety is your first priority. If approached by someone looking to rob you, throw the item wanted away from you and escape in the opposite direction, immediately seeking help. 

• Watch for signs – most thieves hanging around an apartment building entrance want to appear relaxed and casual and may try to engage in a conversation with you. Make eye contact, notice distinguishable features, and subtly watch their hands for potential alarming movements. 

Your safety is our priority. Please reach out to your Building Manager if you have anything to report specific to the safety of the building we can fix, repair, or change.