56% of Renters Have Lived With a Broken Apartment Security Feature — What Are Your Rights in 2026?
Yes — a broken apartment security feature is extremely common, and landlords are often slow to fix it. A national survey released in September 2026 found that 56% of U.S. renters have lived with a non-functional building security feature, such as a broken gate, lock, or camera, and only 29% of renters who reported a safety concern say management fixed it quickly. In most states, landlords have some legal duty to maintain reasonable security, but enforcement is inconsistent — which is why a growing share of renters are adding their own, portable security devices instead of waiting.
How many renters actually deal with broken security features?
According to the 2026 Apartment Access & Security Report from Rently, published September 10, 2026 (an online survey of 800 U.S. apartment renters conducted in August 2026), 56% of respondents said they've lived with a broken security feature — a gate that wouldn't lock, a camera that didn't record, or an entry system that let anyone walk in. The same report found 40% of renters said their building has no controlled entry system at all.
The consequences aren't just theoretical. Renters who lived through an unrepaired security failure were three times more likely to leave their community over it: 34% moved out after a broken feature went unfixed, compared with just 11% of renters who never experienced one.
Why don't landlords fix broken security faster?
The same 2026 Rently data shows only 29% of renters who raised a safety concern say their property management resolved it quickly — meaning most requests sit unresolved for longer than tenants think is acceptable. That gap exists even though renters are willing to pay for better security: 60% said they'd accept a rent increase for community-wide upgrades, averaging $74 a month among those willing to pay.
More than 1 in 3 renters who had a broken security feature later moved out because of it.
Is a landlord actually required to fix broken security?
In general, yes — most states hold landlords to an "implied warranty of habitability," which requires them to maintain conditions that affect tenants' basic health and safety, and that duty typically extends to functioning locks, gates, and lighting. According to a landlord-tenant overview from Justia's Landlord-Tenant Law Center, landlords can face liability for failing to repair broken locks, gates, or lighting that a reasonable tenant relied on for safety. A separate legal explainer from Super Lawyers notes that once a landlord knows about a security defect — through a written repair request, for example — and doesn't act, that failure can become part of a negligent-security claim if a crime occurs afterward.
That said, exact rules vary a lot by state and city, and "reasonable security" is not defined the same way everywhere. If your building's gate, lock, or camera has been broken for a while, the practical first step is the same regardless of location:
- Put the repair request in writing
- Keep dated copies or screenshots
- Note every day it stays broken
- Check your local tenant rights office
What can renters do while they wait for a fix?
The same 2026 Rently survey found 55% of renters have already added a personal security device, or wanted to and weren't allowed to under their lease. That's the real tension for renters: many can't drill into walls, rewire a doorbell, or install a hardwired system in a unit they don't own — but they also can't control when management fixes a broken gate or hallway camera.
This is where a phone-based camera fills a real gap. A spare phone — the one sitting in a drawer after your last upgrade — can be set up as a stationary security camera pointed at your own front door or entryway in a few minutes, with no drilling, no wiring, and nothing to explain to a landlord. Apps like iCameraPlus turn that old phone into a continuously recording camera with an off-device archive and remote live view, so footage of your own doorway isn't lost even if the device itself is lost, damaged, or unplugged — useful if you ever need to show a property manager exactly when a break-in or theft happened at your unit.
What should renters avoid when adding their own camera?
A camera aimed at your own front door or inside your own unit is generally fine, but a few things are worth checking first:
- Review your lease for camera restrictions
- Point cameras at your own entry only
- Check your state's audio consent laws
- Keep repair requests separate and written
Some leases restrict devices in shared or common areas, and some states require two-party consent to record audio, so it's worth a quick read of your lease and local law before mounting anything — even a phone.
Quick answers
Can my landlord stop me from adding my own security camera? It depends on the lease. Many leases allow tenants to monitor their own unit's entry but restrict devices aimed at shared hallways or common areas — check your lease terms first.
What should I do if my apartment gate or camera has been broken for weeks? Submit the repair request in writing, keep a dated record, and follow up in writing if nothing changes — a documented history matters if you later need to escalate to a local tenant rights office.
Does a broken building camera mean my landlord is liable if something happens? Not automatically — but according to legal resources like Super Lawyers, a landlord who knew about a security defect and failed to repair it can face liability if a foreseeable crime follows afterward. Rules vary by state.
