Lizzy Locksmith Bondi Junction

Bondi Junction is an apartment suburb. Towers rise above the train and bus interchange, mid-rise blocks line the streets behind Oxford Street, and older walk-up flats fill the side streets towards Bondi and Waverley. Apartments have real security advantages — controlled building entry, neighbours on every side, often no ground-floor access at all. But they also have their own weak points, and their own rules about what you can change.

This guide covers practical apartment security, from the entry door to the balcony, with the strata and fire-safety considerations that apply in most buildings.

Start with the entry door

Your apartment entry door is the most important lock you have. Most are fitted with a deadlatch that locks automatically when the door closes. Many also have a deadlock, a door viewer and a door closer.

Check what you have

Does the door lock automatically when it closes?
Does the latch fully engage, or does the door need a push?
Is there a second locking point, such as a deadlock?
Does the lock have a deadlocking plunger, so the latch cannot be slipped?
Who has keys? Previous owners, previous tenants, cleaners, the building manager?

Fire doors

Most apartment entry doors in modern buildings are fire-rated. They are part of the building's fire safety system, designed to stop fire and smoke spreading into corridors. That has practical consequences:

Only hardware suitable for a fire-rated door should be fitted.
Extra holes, bolts or chains can compromise the door's rating.
The door must still close and latch on its own.
The owners corporation often specifies or must approve hardware changes.

So before adding a lock, check with your building manager. Often the best upgrade is to rekey the existing approved lock, or replace it with an approved model. See lock rekeying and lock replacement.

Keys: the hidden risk in apartments

Apartments change hands often, especially rentals around Bondi Junction and Bondi. Over the years, keys go to agents, cleaners, tradespeople, dog walkers and previous occupants. Unless the lock has been rekeyed, any of them may still have one.

Rekeying when you move in is one of the most effective and least expensive security steps you can take. If your building uses a master key system — where the building manager has a key that opens many doors — ask how rekeying works in your building, because the new key needs to fit into that system.

Building entry and common areas

The building's front door, car park gate, lifts and fire stairs are normally controlled by the owners corporation. Good habits help everyone:

Do not let strangers tailgate you through the front door or car park gate.
Report faulty doors that do not close or lock to the building manager promptly.
Never prop fire doors open.
Keep fobs and swipe cards secure, and report losses so they can be deactivated.

If a common-area lock is failing, the owners corporation, usually through the strata manager, arranges the repair. We are happy to work with building managers on common-area doors once approved.

Balcony and sliding doors

Ground-floor and first-floor balconies, and balconies reachable from neighbouring ones, are a common weak point. Sliding doors often have only a simple latch that can sometimes be lifted out of its catch. Practical improvements include:

An additional keyed lock for the sliding door.
An anti-lift block in the top track.
A security bar or blocking device for times you are away.

Higher-floor balconies are less exposed, but sliding locks still wear out and stop catching properly, which is worth fixing. See security locksmith.

Windows

On upper floors, the main window concern is often child safety rather than intruders. NSW has child window safety requirements for strata buildings, and many buildings have already fitted restrictors that stop windows opening more than a set amount. If yours has not, or a restrictor is broken, report it to the building.

On ground-floor apartments, or in older walk-ups where windows face a courtyard or lane, keyed window locks make sense. Many allow the window to be locked slightly open for ventilation. See window locks.

Parcels, mail and storage

Apartment security is not only about the door:

Mailboxes often have cheap locks that can be replaced if broken.
Storage cages in car parks are common targets. A quality padlock and a well-fixed hasp help.
Parcels left in lobbies attract theft. Use a parcel locker if your building has one.

Renters: what you can and cannot do

If you rent, you generally need your landlord's consent to change or add locks in NSW, and in a strata building the owners corporation may also need to approve changes to the entry door. Things you can usually do without changing locks:

Ask the agent when the locks were last rekeyed, and request a rekey if no one knows.
Report broken locks as a repair.
Use a portable door wedge or alarm when you are home.
Keep keys and fobs secure and never labelled with your unit number.

See our guide to NSW lock change rules.

Owners: a simple apartment security plan

Rekey the entry door when you buy, using approved hardware.
Check the latch engages fully every time the door closes; get it adjusted if not.
Add a sliding-door lock to accessible balconies.
Fit or repair window restrictors where required.
Keep a key log — who has each key, and when they were issued.
Talk to the building manager before any change to the entry door.

Lockouts in apartments

Self-locking entry doors make lockouts common: step into the corridor to empty the bin and the door closes behind you. Keep a spare key with someone nearby you trust, and check whether your building manager holds one. If you are locked out, see Locked Out? What to Do First or call our lockout service.

Older walk-up flats

The two- to four-storey brick flats common in Bondi and Waverley are different from modern towers. Doors are usually timber, often not fire-rated in the same way, and locks have frequently been changed many times. These buildings often benefit from:

A quality deadlatch and deadlock on the entry door.
A reinforced strike plate where the frame has been damaged by previous changes.
Keyed window locks on ground-floor windows.

Rules still apply — check strata by-laws — but there is often more flexibility than in a modern tower.

Questions we are often asked

Can I add a chain or extra bolt to my fire door? Not without checking with the building. Extra hardware can affect the fire rating.

Is a keypad lock allowed on an apartment door? Sometimes, if the model suits fire-rated doors and the building approves it.

Who pays to fix the building's front door? Generally the owners corporation, through the strata manager.

Moving into an apartment: a first-week checklist

The first week in a new apartment is the best time to sort out security, because you are already changing things and nobody has settled into habits yet.

Ask who has keys. Ask the agent or previous owner how many keys, fobs and swipe cards were issued, and how many you received. If the numbers do not match, plan a rekey.
Rekey the entry door. With approval if the door is fire-rated or part of a master key system. One visit usually covers the entry door and any keyed storage cage or mailbox.
Test the latch. Close the door gently and firmly several times. If it ever fails to latch, have the closer or strike adjusted.
Check the balcony slider. Lock it, then try to lift the door in its track. If it moves, add an anti-lift block or extra lock.
Check window restrictors. Make sure every restrictor is present and working, especially in children's rooms.
Register fobs with building management. That way a lost fob can be cancelled quickly.
Decide on a spare key holder. A trusted friend nearby is better than a hiding place in the corridor.
Save the building manager's number and ours, 02 6423 0404, in your phone.

Doing all eight in the first week takes very little time and closes most of the gaps we see in apartments around Bondi Junction.

Short-stay and holiday apartments

Bondi and Bondi Junction have many short-stay apartments. Guests come and go, keys and codes are handed over constantly, and cleaners need access between stays. Practical options include rekeying between long stays, a keypad lock where the building approves it, and a lockable key safe in an approved location. Check your strata by-laws and NSW short-term rental rules before setting anything up.

Need help with your apartment?

Call Lizzy Locksmith Bondi Junction on 02 6423 0404, open 7 days, 8:00am – 7:00pm, or send a quote request. We work on apartment entry doors, balcony sliders and windows across Bondi Junction, Bondi and nearby suburbs. See also residential locksmith.

Apartment Security in Bondi Junction: A Practical Guide