Gated communities are a popular amenity for residents who value exclusivity and controlled access to their community. The next step up is apartments with a gate guard on duty, which employ a designated person to check people in and out. This bonus feature is a great way to increase your feeling of safety and security, and it may even generate a tighter sense of community among neighbors.

Gate Guards on Duty: How it Works

Apartments with gate guards on duty have someone at the gate checking in visitors by verifying names, taking down license plates and providing visitors with a pass for parking if needed. Some communities even have active guards at night. Visitors should be able to enter through the gates at any time of the day provided that the guard has their information and visit dates. Most guards will contact you if a visitor arrives that is not on the list. Once approved, the visitor will receive a dated pass to display on their dashboard. If your visitors plan on staying more than one day, they may need to declare this as passes often change color each day to avoid unauthorized access. Residents are often given permanent access stickers for their cars so they can avoid waiting too long at the gate entrance.

Another feature of many apartments with gate guards on duty is scheduled patrols throughout the day. A common schedule is patrolling the community once every hour to verify parking passes and monitor any unusual activity. Guards may also be available for assistance with any safety issues or problems that arise – check with your leasing office to verify the responsibilities and role of the gate guard.

Benefits of Apartments with Gate Guards on Duty

Feeling safe within the community is an important factor for many residents when selecting apartment. Apartments with gate guards on duty can help boost the feeling of living in a tight-knit community where someone is looking out for suspicious activity, thefts and other issues that may create problems for residents in the neighborhood. By reducing unauthorized vehicles and foot traffic, gates and guards on duty may help reduce crime rates in some communities, especially combined with "no trespassing" signs. A guard may be a better visual deterrent for a criminal scoping out the neighborhood when compared to only a gate code system. Additionally, gated communities without the use of guards may become less exclusive if residents share the gate code and no one is there to verify access. For more tips on staying safe when living in an apartment, read through this quick wikiHow guide. A good place to start when searching for safe communities is coming up with a list of important security questions for the leasing office, like number of entrances and street lighting.

Another benefit of guarded communities is the decrease of traffic within the neighborhood. Non-residents cannot enter and exit the community easily, making it potentially safer for children playing near the streets or residents going for a morning run. This may also increase the availability of parking for actual visitors and residents, especially if passes and parking are monitored closely.