Apartment owners hire security services for a variety of reasons. These services help protect the property from loss and damage, attract residents to the building, support the comfort and well-being of those residents and protect the owners from premises liability lawsuits. But what can residents expect from a security service?

The presence of a security guard, sometimes called a "courtesy officer"--shouldn't necessarily be interpreted as a sign of criminal activity in the building, says Chris McGoey, a certified security professional and apartment manager and owner of McGoey Security Consulting  in Phoenix, Arizona. Rather, a security service is simply another type of amenity, like a swimming pool, fitness room or elegant lobby, that the owners have decided to provide.

Of course, not all security services are created equal. "If a resident is being led to believe there is some sort of security or courtesy officer, the resident should find out the details [before moving in]," McGoey suggests. Questions to ask include: Is the guard service on-site 24 hours every day or only after dark or only on weekdays? Is a guard present all night or is the service just a drive-through? And, if it is a drive-through, how many times a night does the patrol take place?

Even a security service that is on-duty 24 hours every day isn't a substitute for local law enforcement. While the visibility of a security guard and his or her periodic patrols might deter some would-be criminals, a resident who suspects a crime should call the police, then notify the security office.

Residents also should be aware of individual services the security guards can provide. "[For example], if you are locked out of your apartment, they will come and let you in. If your next-door neighbors have their stereo blasting, call security and they will come by. If someone is in the pool after hours and making a lot of noise, call security. If you see someone drinking beer in the parking lot or just looking suspicious, you might want to call security," McGoey suggests.

If the security service has access to apartment keys, residents should find out what controls are in place to prevent any misuse of those keys. "If management requires the security people to let in residents who are locked out, they have to have access to the keys. In this day and age, there should be no more master keys anywhere. There is no [legal] requirement [governing key controls], but the customary practice is [for security] to check the ID of the person who wants to get into the apartment and make sure that person is listed on the lease. Then the [guard] needs to take the extra key from a locked keybox in a locked room, walk to the unit, let the person in, then return the key and fill out a log," McGoey explains.

For more information about apartment building security, including articles about security guards, key controls and other topics, visit McGoey's Web site.