Anti-Terrorism Guidelines to Apartment Owners

Below are a few advisory Anti-terrorism guidelines for  Apartment Property Owner/Managers.

1. Thoroughly follow your procedures for completing tenant applicant background checks. Focus particularly on:
   • Do they have valid state identification?
   • Verify their vehicles are registered to the prospective tenant.
   • Be cautious of prospective tenant using only rental vehicles.
   • Be cautious of prospective tenants with little or no previous rental history.
   • Verify the prospective tenant is able to pay rent.
   • Verify employment thoroughly.
   • Be cautious of prospective tenant seeking month to month or week to week rentals.
   • Be cautious of tenants paying rent with cash only, money orders, or third party checks unless they have established a consistent record of doing so.
   • Be cautious of prospective tenants seeking only to rent ground floor apartments unless the request is due to a disability.
   • Be cautious of prospective tenants who show undue concern for renting an apartment that cannot be seen by other homes or apartments.
   • Be cautious of prospective tenants who claim to operate non-zoned business applications such as jewelry, industrial art, metal work, electric repair, chemistry, etc.
   • Observe new tenants when they move in to see if they are bringing in any unusual items. Some examples are: machinery; liquid containers; barrels; buckets, drums, sack, and bags; compressed air tanks; boxes carried with extreme caution; large batteries; electrical wire; and fireworks.
   • Monitor tenant activity in public areas consistent with community policies. Watch for unusual or oddly sized packages (see list in item No. 2) being brought into units.
   • Watch for tenants who use an apartment in unusual ways; e.g., rarely occupy the unit, over-occupy the unit with more people than allowed on the rental agreement.
   • Monitor for unusual odors emanating from apartment units such as gasoline, diesel fuel, ammonia, sulfur, acids, or the odor of fireworks.
   • Watch for unusual digging or trenching near ground floor apartment units.
   • Watch for unusual guest traffic to a single apartment unit.
   • Newer complexes where tenants are less likely to know each other and in more densely developed areas and more likely to attract a potential terrorist. High-rise apartment buildings with large numbers of units may be more attractive to potential terrorists.
   • Install surveillance equipment to serve as deterrent to criminal activity.
   • Watch for tenants or guests using special knocks or signals devices such as hanging towels, opening curtains, placing a cushion in a special way, etc.
   • Watch for tenants who change the locks without approval.

In case you come across any suspicious activity, any suspicious movement or have any information to tell contact your nearest police station or city’s Police.

Make no mistake: 1090 is not terror helpline- If you get an email or come across any information which states –“In case you come across any suspicious activity, any suspicious movement or have any information to tell to the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), please take a note of the new all India toll-free terror helpline 1090.” Trash this e-mail. Don’t even think of forwarding it to your friends and family. 1090 is the helpline for senior citizens, run by the city police along with the Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT). –Times of India