How safe is your new apartment?

Your new apartment has a lock on the door, but does the last tenant still have a key?

That's just one of a number of security and safety issues first-time tenants might not think about, but should.

"If that person has the key right to your apartment, they can come in on a non-forced entry," said Clifton Crime Prevention Officer Jim Flanagan, recommending a new lock as perhaps a tenant's first step to creating "home, safe home."

There may be some people, such as the landlord, who need a key for emergencies, but Flanagan said the key and its use should be spelled out in a lease. Even with emergency access, Flanagan said, tenants will want to be informed so they aren't surprised to find their belongings moved about.

Security lighting and burglar alarms work to protect any home, but if they are not provided and are too costly to purchase, Flanagan recommended multiple locks.

"Two is better than one," he said. "For a couple dollars more, get the screen door that locks," and do the same with sash windows, he said.

Renters are not the biggest targets for burglary, he said. Their proximity to other tenants provides many eyes and ears that make burglars hesitant to strike.

Flanagan also suggests a free home security check, often offered by police departments.

Any safety check of a new apartment would not be complete without considering fire prevention.

Just because a smoke detector has an active red light does not mean it's working well, said Capt. Russell Shorter of the Hackensack Fire Department. "You would have to check with building maintenance and ask questions," he said.

You'll want carbon monoxide detectors, too, if gas is used for heat, cooking or hot water, said Shorter. If the building has a fire sprinkler system, these are subject to inspections, he said, and the tenant can see if the landlord is keeping up the requirements.

The trend in new construction over the last 20 years is away from fire escapes, which rust and collect clutter, Shorter said. With two or more stairwells, buildings are freed of this requirement, but if your building has a fire escape, make sure that it's in shape and accessible.

Lt. Stephen Lindner said the Hackensack Fire Department sees more kitchen fires in apartments.

Here the burden of safety falls to the tenant, who should avoid leaving pots unattended or placing dishtowels and aerosol cans near the stove. Lindner suggested keeping a lid handy to quickly snuff out a grease fire in a pan.

For other safety issues, Matt Shapiro, president of the 50,000-member New Jersey Tenants Organization, recommended talking to other tenants. "I assume the place will be [freshly] painted so it will look good. It's hard to tell if you're going to get water damage, and so on. It would be great to go into another apartment that hasn't been painted," Shapiro said, for a more realistic view of life in this building.

Moreover, tenants can check with the local building department to see if the unit has a new certificate of occupancy, which some towns require each time a unit is rented again. To get a certificate, "they have to show the apartment itself is violation-free," Shapiro said.

For tenants with children, window guards and lead paint are special concerns. State law requires landlords to supply window guards upon written request in places where children under age 10 are to reside. Windows that open onto a fire escape are an exception.

When it comes to lead used in house paints until 1978, Legal Services of New Jersey advises on its Web site, "If your home has lead paint that is creating a hazard, you can force the landlord to remove it by withholding rent or asking for a rent abatement."