How can a single woman live alone safely?

These tips for living alone as a female will help keep you and your apartment secure. Look for apartments in safe neighborhoods. ... Check your apartments' security before signing the lease. ... Communicate with your landlord or property manager. ... Invest in a security system. ... Always lock your doors and windows. ... Buy strong locks. More items... •

rent.com - 18 Safety Tips For Single Women Living Alone in an Apartment

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From investing in a home security system to getting to know your neighbors, these tips for living alone as a female will help you feel safe and secure. Living by yourself is one of the most fun and rewarding times in a person's life. You have an entire space to yourself and the possibilities are endless. Decorate exactly how you see fit. No dealing with roommates, allowing you to throw parties or have guests over whenever you like. You have your own private place to live and retreat from the world, providing you freedom, independence and space for growth. But if you're a single woman living alone, you still need to take your own safety into consideration. Living with other people will always provide an extra degree of security, as more people in a house makes it less enticing to burglars. And as much as the world has made advances in feminism and equality, a woman living alone can still be viewed as an easy target. Having someone unwanted in your home is a violating feeling no one should have to experience. While living alone is scary for these reasons, once you're aware of the risks and have taken precautions, you'll feel much more secure in your home. That doesn't just include adding extra security appliances or measures, but also how you conduct yourself around the apartment complex and present yourself to the outside world. Whether it's your first time or you're a seasoned pro, if you're a single female living alone in an apartment, these tips will always come in handy to protect yourself and your apartment.

Safety tips for living alone as a female in an apartment

Apartments are prime spaces for living alone. You can choose from a variety of layouts to suit your needs. And, as apartments are usually located in dense, urban areas, you live close to all the fun activities and perks that your city has to offer, like dining or nightclubs. But apartments also present some security risks if you're living alone. For example, as apartment complexes are communal places, it's easy for strangers to know your comings and goings without your knowledge. Since lots of people need access to the building, apartments don't always have the best security features to prevent non-residents from getting in. These tips for living alone as a female will help keep you and your apartment secure.

1. Look for apartments in safe neighborhoods

One of the easiest ways to keep yourself safe while living alone? Live in a safe, secure neighborhood with low crime. Researching the crime and safety rating of an area is easy on Google, allowing you to pick and choose neighborhoods where you'll feel secure.

2. Check your apartments' security before signing the lease

Appraising a potential apartment and building for security flaws is another way to avoid problems before they even happen. Does the building have a doorman to prevent non-residents from entering without permission? Is it a controlled-access apartment with multi-step authentication for residents? Do all the doors and windows securely latch? Consider all the ways someone unwanted could gain access to the building and the apartment. If there are too many weak spots, it's not the right place for you.

3. Communicate with your landlord or property manager

Even after you've moved in, stay in communication with your landlord about any security risks. Did you see someone suspicious wandering the complex? Are the lights out in a certain part of the building? Is your door wobbly? Bring these to your landlord's attention so they can protect your safety and that of the overall complex.

4. Invest in a security system

If you want to take your apartment security into your own hands, install a security system. These days, many home security systems are easily installed on your own. Options like SimpliSafe allow you to place wireless locks on all your doors and windows and access the entire system from your phone. Many people also enjoy using video doorbells like Ring or Google Nest. This allows you to monitor the exterior of your front door or other exterior parts of your apartment like the back windows. In an apartment complex where other residents' guests can come and go or delivery people can bring parcels right to the apartment, it's an especially good idea. If you notice suspicious characters appearing on numerous occasions or see someone stalking or monitoring your door, you have video evidence. It can also prevent package theft. Women in particular vouch for using video surveillance as a key security feature to feel more safe and comfortable.

5. Always lock your doors and windows

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This may seem like a no-brainer, but with our busy lives, sometimes, little details like this get missed. Whether you're home or not, always ensure that all your doors and windows are properly locked and secured.

6. Buy strong locks

Adding extra locks to your doors or windows never hurts. You can go for extra deadbolts or keypad door knobs that require a code in addition to your key for that extra bit of security. (Just be sure to ask for your landlord's permission first.) These handy portable locks that you insert between the door and the lock also come highly recommended for single women living alone.

7. Make friends with your neighbors

Being independent is great and all. But befriending your neighbors and being an active member of the apartment complex is about more than having a social life. It can also help keep you and your apartment safe. Getting along with your neighbors means that you have someone to watch after your place while you're away on trips. If someone suspicious is hanging out around your apartment, your neighbor can alert you. Then, you can do the same for them, too. Having extra people watching out for you and alerting you of danger is always a good idea. Of course, be careful of what personal information you give out until you know your neighbors well enough.

8. Always check the peephole

Even if you're expecting someone, always check the peephole before unlocking and opening the door. You literally have no idea who could be standing outside trying to gain access to your apartment until you have visual confirmation. Don't have a peephole in your front door? Ask your landlord to install one.

9. Have emergency plans for different scenarios

Being safe while living alone isn't just about preventing break-ins or intruders. It's also about keeping yourself safe in case of natural disasters or emergencies like fires. Know where all the emergency exits are on your floor and how to use them. Create plans on how to get out of your apartment in case of emergency and have emergency kits prepared with essentials like documents, an extra change of clothes, a spare phone, water and non-perishable foods.

10. Have friends over when repair people are around

While we all know to never let strangers into our apartments, the exception is generally when a technician or maintenance person needs to come in to check or fix something. Even if the worker is coming from a company, you still don't want to be alone in your apartment with a stranger. In the event that someone needs access to your apartment to fix the toilet or install something, ask some friends or a neighbor to come over at the same time. That way, you have someone trusted in the apartment, as well, and the repair person won't know you live alone.

11. Keep loved ones updated when you're home and safe

One of the best tips for living alone as a female is to keep friends and family updated on your whereabouts. If there's no one at home waiting for you, let your network know that you're home safe from a night out or a trip. That way, if someone followed you or you feel unsafe, you can quickly let someone you trust know.

12. Don't advertise your single status to the outside world

You can take all the security measures in the world, but it won't matter if intruders are easily able to identify that you live alone. It makes you a target. This could be from anything like seeing a single name on a mailbox to leaving your curtains open. So, try not to make your apartment appear unoccupied to the outside world, even when you're home. Keep lights on and music going when you go out. Close the blinds or curtains so people can't watch to see how many people live there. Only put your last name on your mailbox. If you're going on vacation, ask friends or neighbors to check in on your place. You can even leave items like men's boots laying around. We're not saying you have to go all “the party scene in Home Alone where Kevin uses moving cardboard cutouts to make it look like people are home." But making your apartment look busy and continually occupied reduces the risk of you being targeted as a single woman.

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13. Be careful what you share online

Keeping your single status private doesn't just apply to the real world but the digital world, too. Be extremely mindful of posting on social networks that you live alone or when you leave home. You never know who could be monitoring your posts. This also applies to posting updates about going on vacation. It advertises to the world that your apartment is empty. If you do want to share something online that alludes to the fact you live alone, only share it with a small, trusted circle of followers like friends and family.

14. Have a weapon accessible

In a perfect world, the onus would not be on single women to always have to carry weapons to keep themselves safe. But the world we live in sometimes demands it, especially if you live in a not-so-safe area. So, it doesn't hurt to keep a weapon like a baseball bat or Mace on hand.

15. Take a self-defense class

Along with a weapon, taking a class to learn self-defense techniques will help you feel empowered and confident in your ability to protect yourself. You can even watch videos or tutorials online.

16. Get a dog

Getting a dog is easily the most adorable option for keeping your apartment safe. Anyone monitoring you and your apartment will know you have an animal that could attack if provoked. Plus, a barking dog making a lot of noise is a great deterrent to intruders. The hard science about whether or not dogs actually help stop break-ins does vary. But experts agree the breed or type of dog is a factor. Larger dogs are more physically intimidating. But small dogs that bark a lot can give a burglar pause. Also, keep in mind that some dog breeds aren't welcome in certain apartments. Even if your canine companion isn't much of a guard dog, getting a dog also helps with feeling less lonely and isolated when living alone.

17. Be sparing with spare keys

That old “keep the spare key under the doormat or flower pot" trick? Yeah, you and every burglar on Earth know it. If you can't find a truly safe, unexpected place to hide a spare key outside your apartment, best to leave it with a neighbor. Also, be smart about who you trust to have a spare key to your apartment.

18. Have your keys ready when entering or leaving

Rummaging for your keys in your purse when leaving or entering your apartment gives someone the opportunity to ambush you when you're unprepared. Always have your keys at the ready and be aware of your surroundings when coming and going. Using these tips for living alone as a female will help keep you safe Living alone as a single woman is a great time for growth and self-development. With these tips, common sense and having your wits about you, you'll stay safe.

rent.com - 18 Safety Tips For Single Women Living Alone in an Apartment

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