Apartment Security: How can I make my particular set of door and windows more secure, on a budget?

sparrows — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:25:04 -0800

Apartment Security: How can I make my particular set of door and windows more secure, on a budget? Details inside re. my existing setup. DOOR:
The front door of my NYC rental apartment is painted metal and seems to be hollow. Its hinges are attached straight into the plaster wall (no door frame). It has a peephole and one lock: a deadbolt with a latch on the inside and a standard (non-Medeco) keyhole on the outside. This deadbolt was not installed by me; my super claims only I have the key but I should assume otherwise for safety/logic's sake.

BUILDING:
Anyone can get into the building, since everyone here lets strangers through the lobby door behind them (I can't change this; it's totally pervasive behavior in a 100+ person building).

WINDOWS:
My apt's other access points are three metal-frame, double-pane windows -- two regular size and a small one in the bathroom. All three windows share one long fire escape with other apts. All three face a well-lit, busy street; are several floors above street level; and are 5 feet or less from my head when I sleep. The two regular windows have standard latches but nothing else; the bathroom window has the same latch plus horizontal child-safety bars (usually meant to keep kids from falling out the window, but these are rusted enough that they'd take intense effort to unscrew from the window frame). Also, I probably will want to install an air conditioner in one of the windows.

POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS I SHOULD MAKE?
1) When I'm inside the apt, I can latch or block the door such that no key can open it from the outside;
2) The door has an external lock (ideally a Medeco or other non-bumpable kind) to which no one but me could have a key;
3) The windows have something more than latches but less than metal grates/bars.

Should I do these things and/or other things? How should I do them?

If possible, please include your guesses about what the things you recommend might cost -- and whether I could buy & install them without hiring a pro (my friends have good tools including drills and a Dremel with a huge range of bits). Thanks!

How do you get a "do not copy" key copied?

spacewrench — Sat, 23 Apr 2005 22:37:01 -0800

I live in a condo complex with a pool, and there's a key to get into the pool. Naturally, I've lost the key. The condo management wants $150 for a new one, which seems a little excessive. Unfortunately, it's a Medeco key, and from Googling around, it looks like they've done a good job of locking up the market so that people like my condo manager can jack you up. I'm sure the $150 fee discourages people from getting extra copies to give to their non-resident friends, but really, it's not like the facilities are worth driving across town to use.
Does anybody have a source for Medeco key blanks? Right now, I'm willing to try filing my own key (I can borrow one to copy).

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Apartment Security: How can I make my particular set of door and windows more secure, on a budget?

How do you get a "do not copy" key copied?