Bankstown Locksmith Service

Bankstown has changed a great deal over the past twenty years. The streets around the station, Bankstown Central and the civic precinct now hold a mix of older walk-up blocks and newer mid-rise apartment buildings. Thousands of people live in units within walking distance of our base on Rickard Rd, and their security needs are quite different from those of a freestanding house.

This guide explains how apartment security actually works, which parts you control, and the practical changes that make the biggest difference. It covers entry doors, fire doors, balcony doors, windows, keys and the role of the owners corporation.

Why apartments are different

In a house, the owner controls every door, window and lock. In an apartment, security is shared.

The building provides the first layer: entry doors, intercoms, garage doors and gates.
Your unit provides the second layer: your entry door, balcony door and windows.
Your habits provide the third: who you let in, where you keep keys and whether doors are locked.

A weakness in any layer affects the others. A propped-open building door lets anyone into the corridors. A self-locking unit door that does not latch properly gives no protection at all.

Most apartment break-ins happen through the unit entry door, a ground-floor or first-floor window, or a balcony door that can be reached from a neighbouring balcony, a roof or the ground.

Your unit entry door

The unit entry door is your most important barrier. Check these points.

Does it close and latch by itself? Many unit doors have a self-closer and a self-locking latch. If the closer is weak or the strike is misaligned, the door may rest against the frame without latching. It looks shut but is not locked.

Does it have a deadlocking function? Many unit entry locks can be deadlocked with the key when you leave. Use it. A deadlocked latch is much harder to bypass than a plain latch.

Is the strike plate solid? A strike fixed with short screws into a thin jamb is easy to force. Longer screws into the framing behind the jamb make a big difference.

Is there a gap between the door and the frame? A large gap can make some latches easier to bypass. A locksmith can adjust the strike or fit a latch guard where appropriate.

Our article on deadlocks and deadlatches explains how these locks work.

Fire-rated entry doors

In many NSW apartment buildings, unit entry doors are fire-rated. That limits what you can fit. Hardware must suit the door's rating, the door must still close and latch by itself, and it must open from inside without a key.

Before adding locks or bolts, look for a fire rating label on the hinge edge of the door, and check with your strata manager. Fitting the wrong hardware can compromise the building's fire safety. Our guide to strata building door rules in NSW covers this in detail.

Sliding balcony doors

Balcony doors are an often-overlooked weak point, especially on lower floors or where balconies are close together.

Many sliding doors rely on a simple hook latch that can be lifted or forced. Practical improvements include:

a keyed lock that stops the door sliding;
a lock or block that prevents the door being lifted off its track;
checking that the latch engages fully when the door is closed.

Sliding doors also need a little maintenance. A dirty track makes the door hard to close fully, which means the latch may not engage.

Windows

Ground-floor and first-floor units, and units with windows onto shared walkways or roofs, should consider window locks.

Sliding aluminium windows are the most common type in Bankstown unit blocks. A keyed sliding window lock stops the sash being opened from outside. Awning windows can use winder locks.

On upper floors, window locks and opening restrictors also help with child safety. NSW has window safety requirements for some residential buildings, so check whether they apply to yours. Our window locks page explains the options.

Keys and key control

You often do not know how many keys to your unit exist. Previous owners, tenants, agents, cleaners and tradespeople may all have held copies.

Rekey when you move in. If your unit lock is not part of a master key system, rekeying is quick and stops old keys working. See our lock rekeying page.

Check for a master key system. Some buildings use a master key system for unit and common doors. If yours does, rekeying may need to go through the system supplier.

Do not hide a spare key near the door. Corridors are shared spaces. A key under the mat or on top of the frame is easy to find.

Report lost fobs and common door keys. The strata manager can cancel fobs and decide whether common door locks need rekeying.

Building entries and common doors

As a resident, you cannot usually change common door locks yourself, but you can help keep the building secure.

Do not prop open entry doors or garage doors.
Do not let strangers follow you in.
Report doors that do not close or latch properly.
Report broken intercoms, gate locks and garage doors to the strata manager.

A building door that does not shut by itself is one of the most common security problems in unit blocks. The fix is often a simple closer adjustment.

Security screen doors on units

Some ground-floor units and older walk-up flats have security screen doors on their entry or balcony. These can add a useful layer, but only if their locks work and are used. Screen door locks collect dust and weather, so they often stiffen over time. A locksmith can service or replace them.

In strata buildings, check your by-laws before adding a screen door, as some buildings control what can be fitted to the outside of a unit.

Renting a unit

If you rent, you generally need your landlord's consent before changing or rekeying locks, with some exceptions. Report broken locks to your agent in writing. Our guide to landlord and tenant lock change rules in NSW explains the basics.

Before you move in, check that every lock works, including balcony and window locks, and note any problems on the condition report.

Habits that make a difference

Locks only work when they are used. These simple habits matter as much as any hardware.

Deadlock your unit door when you go out.
Lock the balcony door before leaving, even on upper floors.
Close and lock accessible windows when you are out.
Check that the door has latched behind you.
Keep spare keys with someone you trust, not in the corridor.
Be careful about who you buzz in through the intercom.

Lockouts in units

Self-locking unit doors make lockouts common. If it happens, tell the locksmith whether you are locked out of your unit, the building or both. A neighbour or building manager may be able to help with the building door. Our guide to emergency lockouts in Bankstown explains what to do.

A quick unit security check

Walk through your unit and ask:

Does the entry door close and latch every time?
Does it deadlock with the key?
Is the strike plate firmly fixed?
Does the balcony door have a lock that stops it sliding and lifting?
Do accessible windows have locks?
Do you know how many keys exist?
Have you rekeyed since you moved in?

If the answer to any of these is no, there is an easy improvement available.

What we can help with

We work on unit entry locks, balcony door locks, window locks and security screen doors across Bankstown and nearby suburbs. For fire-rated doors and master key systems, we check the requirements before recommending anything. For common doors, we work with the strata manager or committee.

We will not fit hardware that compromises a fire door, and we will not claim any lock makes a unit impossible to enter. Our job is to make your home harder to get into and easier to live in.

Going away: a unit checklist

Units are often left empty during holidays, and a few minutes before you leave makes a real difference.

Deadlock the entry door and check it from the corridor side.
Lock the sliding balcony door and fit any bar or block you use.
Close and lock every window, including small bathroom windows on lower floors.
Leave a spare key with someone you trust, not in the building's mailroom or corridor.
Ask a neighbour to collect parcels so deliveries do not pile up outside your door.
Tell the building manager if you will be away for a long time.
Use a timer on a lamp so the unit does not look empty at night.

When you come back, check that every lock still works smoothly. Units that sit closed through a humid Sydney summer can have balcony doors and windows that stick. If a lock suddenly feels different, do not force it. A small adjustment is far cheaper than a broken lock.

Moving out of a unit

If you are leaving a unit, return every key, fob and remote to the agent or owner, and get a written note of what you returned. That protects your bond and makes it easy for the next occupant to rekey with confidence.

The bottom line

Apartment security depends on the building, your unit and your habits working together. Make sure your entry door latches and deadlocks, secure sliding balcony doors and accessible windows, rekey when you move in, and keep spare keys out of the corridor. Check your by-laws and fire door requirements before changing hardware.

If you would like a security check of your unit in Bankstown or nearby suburbs, call us on 02 5657 6414, 7 days from 7:00am to midnight, or request a quote through our contact page. You can also read about our residential locksmith and security locksmith services.