Apartment Safety Tips for Single Women

As a woman who has lived in apartment complexes for many years, I thought I’d share some safety tips for apartment living.

An apartment complex is like a small town where you have friends, people whose faces look familiar, and some people who are complete strangers. There are places in the complex where you are more likely to meet others. Some of these areas are; apartment office, clubhouse, laundry room, pool area/tennis courts, mailbox, and garbage can. Below is a breakdown of the different locations and precautions you might consider:

office area

This is usually the safest place in the complex because there is usually more than one person present. It’s where tenants drop off some checks or someone complains about their kitchen sink, etc. You still need to keep your guard up, in case someone gets angry for whatever reason, but usually the anger is directed towards the office worker.

mailbox area

This area is one of the most dangerous and you should always keep your guard up! Criminals keep a close eye on the mailbox sections of an apartment complex. Because? Because people are pretty predictable as to when they check their mail. Attackers like the fact that if they watch you for a few days, they can pretty much predict when you’ll check your mailbox. Usually, people go to this section when they come home from work. As you approach your mailbox, look around you. If there are few people present, it is safer, but if you are the only one there, be very careful, especially at night. Always prepare your personal defense product and have it on hand and ready to use before approaching the mailbox area.

clubhouse area

Some resorts have clubhouses to rent out for parties, but others have indoor recreational things like pool and ping pong tables, pinball machines, video games, etc. Clubhouses can be very popular, especially on weekends and at night. Many times you will come across people drinking alcoholic beverages that they brought from their apartment. It is always advisable to go to the clubhouses with a friend. Every once in a while you’ll run into a loser in a card game, for example, who may turn violent and take it out on whoever is nearby. If you meet a new person, be careful when giving out your apartment number. Also be careful if someone is following you back to your apartment. If you are afraid of being followed, go to a friend’s apartment if you know he is home.

Tennis court or pool area

The tennis court is quite safe because you are usually accompanied by a tennis partner. The pool area is also quite safe as it is very open and everyone is in a simple site. Even when alone, an attacker will avoid an area that many people can easily see. Just make sure when you leave the pool area that you prepare your self-defense product ahead of time, before walking back to your apartment. This is important because since you are on a simple site, that also means that a potential attacker or stalker could have been looking at it as well. Keep in mind that if you go to the pool regularly, try to do it at different times of the day. This will make your schedule less predictable. If you are alone, try NOT to go at night.

laundry area

Here is another section of an apartment complex that is very dangerous. For one, it’s noisy because of the machines. This noise can easily mask someone’s scream or cry for help. For whatever reason, people feel like they need to have a conversation with whoever is doing the laundry. This can be a great tool for an abuser to get more information from you that they shouldn’t have in the first place! Be careful what you say to a complete stranger. Even if he is the cutest boy, and my, so meticulous with his neatly folded clothes! Impressive right? NO! Potential attackers play a role of caring to make you feel comfortable and thus let your guard down. Again, in this situation, make sure you have a self defense product available.

Garbage Dump

This area is very worrying because most people throw their garbage at night, after dinner. If you don’t want to wait until morning, be very careful about this. If your dumpster area is dark, ask the apartment complex manager to install some type of lighting around it. This can be difficult, but it’s worth a try. You may want to consider asking a few friends who live there to join your application. Always carry your personal defense product with you and prepare it for use. Always move cautiously towards the site and look around carefully as you approach. If you see someone you don’t recognize near him, maybe leaning on his car or smoking… Just turn around and go home. You can always try again later. It is better to be cautious than hurt or killed. If your trash is heavy, just put it somewhere temporarily, where you can pick it up later.