When renting an apartment, your first concern is which floor to choose in the building. Choosing the right apartment floor is not just about having a view from your living spot; it is also about your safety and security. So, you may wonder which apartment floor is the safest?
Depending on your safety concerns, the middle floor of the apartment building is the safest. It is high enough to keep the buglers and pests away. Besides, they are easier to evacuate in emergencies than top-floor apartments.
However, you can consider bottom and top floor apartments as they also have some safety measures.
In this article, I will discuss the safety of living on the bottom, middle, and top floors of an apartment complex so that you can decide which floor is a better choice for you.
Things To Consider Before Renting An Apartment Floor
Before you sign a lease for an apartment, consider the apartment’s safety and security factors. You must check these things no matter which apartment floor you choose.
So, here is what you should do:
Research Crime Rate In The Apartment Area
The crime rate in the local area of the apartment building is an essential factor for choosing the apartment floor. Before you choose a floor, it is wise to research the crime rate of the area.
Talk to the local people, police, and the residents of the apartment complex. You can also check online websites and news portals to see past criminal history.
If the crime rate is low, you can consider getting an apartment on the bottom floor. Otherwise, choose the higher floors.
Check The Security System Of The Entrance
Next, check how secure the entrance of the apartment complex and the apartments are on every floor. Make sure all the entrances have the following security measures:
- CCTV camera
- Key codes
- Chain lock
- Remote unlocking system
- Peephole
Also, talk with the apartment manager to know how often the key codes and the keys are changed. Past tenants may still have the keys or key codes. So, make sure they are changed.
Check The Lighting System
Inspect the apartment complex floors with the manager. Find out which floors have dark nooks and corners. These spots are perfect hiding spaces for thieves and shady people.
There should be proper lighting in the hallways, parking areas, waste management areas, storage rooms, laundry rooms, stairwells, and mailrooms.
Check The Windows
Check the apartment windows, especially the ones on the ground or bottom floor. The windows should be sturdy and not easy to open from the outside.
If any lock is broken, fix it before moving in. Burglars and intruders are always looking open and have broken windows.
Look For Emergency Exits
Security threats do not always come from thieves and burglars; the apartment should also be safe from natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, and fire.
So, check how easily you can reach the emergency exits or fire escape from an apartment. There should also be smoke detectors and alarms.
Which Floor Is Safest?
After considering all the factors, now it is time to select an apartment floor. High-rise apartments have multiple floors. We can categorize the floors as top, middle, and bottom floors. Let us check how secure each floor is:
Bottom Floor
When you live in a ground-floor apartment, you will have easy access in and out. During any accidents related to fire or earthquake, you can safely come out of the building. Your furniture and staff can also be out in a short time. So, you have less risk of property damage.
Also, you do not have to use any stairs to get to your apartment. People with health problems find it very convenient.
However, other than easy out, ground floor or bottom floor apartments may not be the best security and safety. These apartments are an easy target for burglars and intruders. They can pick the lock of the apartment window or doors and enter your apartment.
It is true that you can get out first from the building during a fire accident or earthquake. But people living on the bottom floors are at more risk when the building falls on top after a massive earthquake. Rescuing the victims becomes difficult.
Moreover, bottom-floor apartments may get flooded if the building is in a flood-prone area. Then you have to move your things and even furniture to some other place. So, it is a lot of hassle.
Besides, living on the ground floor also means dealing with more pests. Rats and insects can quickly attack the apartment. Therefore, sometimes, you have to call pest control to get rid of them.
Middle Floor
Middle floor apartments have the advantages of both bottom and top floor apartments. You have to use a few stairs to reach your apartment. If there is an elevator, you do not have to wait long enough to get in or out to reach your floor. Middle floor apartments are also safer than ground floor apartments.
The apartments are high enough that buglers cannot use windows to enter the apartments. You will also face fewer pest and rat problems as they do not climb up high to inhabit the apartment.
Also, during any accidents related to fire or earthquake, middle floor apartment dwellers are evacuated after the bottom floor dwellers. They can exit through the emergency or fire escape without a rush. Middle-floor apartments do not get affected by floods on bottom floors.
Besides, middle-floor apartments often have an ideal temperature. They are neither cold as the bottom floor nor too hot as the top-floor apartment. Thus, the floors are comfortable. You do not have to turn on the heater or AC continuously. You can get all these benefits at an affordable price.
The only problem with living on the middle floor is the noise coming from the top floors. Nonetheless, middle-floor apartments are the safest to live in.
Top Or Highest Floor
People often pay a high price to get a top-floor apartment for the beautiful view. Besides, top-floor apartments provide the best security. Criminals can have easy access to ground-floor apartments through windows, but they can rarely reach the top floor and harm you.
As you get more exposure to natural light and heat, top-floor apartments are comfortable during winter. Besides, you will have less concern about bugs and rats.
Although top-floor apartments offer top-notch security, they are difficult to access. Yes, most high-rise apartments have elevators, but sometimes they get malfunction or are too packed with people.
Also, during an earthquake, you will be one of the last people to get out of the building. Thus, people living on high-raised apartment floors are dangerously at risk during fire and earthquakes. Moreover, you have to leave your belongings behind when you leave the apartment in an emergency.
Which Floor Should You Choose?
If security and safety are your chief concern, you should always choose to live in middle-floor apartments. They are more secure than the bottom floor and, at the same time, easy to access and exit.
However, if the area’s crime rate is low, you can live in bottom-floor apartments. They are safer during natural disasters. You can also increase security by installing security devices and sturdy locks on the windows.
Top-floor apartments are risky during natural disasters, but they have the best view and fresh air. If the apartment complex is less prone to earthquakes, you can live in top-floor apartments. Make sure the building has fire alarms set so that you can be aware of any unwanted situation.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have understood which apartment floor is the safest. Your home should be a place where you feel safe and secure. Only then will you have peace of mind. So, always make sure your apartment floors provide all the necessary security measures you need.
I hope we were able to help you out. Best of luck on your apartment hunting and let us know if you have any questions.