Are Burglar Bars Legal

If you live in an area where robberies, intrusions, and various other types of crime are common, you’ll naturally want to take the necessary steps to make sure that these kinds of crimes aren’t committed against you in your home. But at the same time, you may feel that locks on your doors and windows simply aren’t enough to keep you and your family safe. For this reason, many residents opt to add burglar bars to their windows and doors. However, is it legal to add those to your home or apartment?

What Are Burglar Bars?

Burglar bars are essentially just what they sound like. They are metal bars that go over your windows or doors with the aim of protecting you, your family, and your home and possessions from invasion. These bars, also known as security or window bars, can be found on any type of structure – single-family home, apartment building, storefronts, etc. The bars provide a visible sign of security serving as both a deterrent to potential burglars, and a reassurance to those who had the bars installed. However, burglar bars can also be dangerous, preventing residents and other occupants from escaping in the event of a fire and leading to fatalities.

The Legality of Burglar Bars and Whether or Not You Should Use Them

As stated above, burglar bars can be dangerous for the occupants of the buildings on which they are installed. However, this does not mean that they are illegal everywhere. All states, counties, cities, and local jurisdictions have  different  laws and regulations concerning burglar bars. Therefore, if you live in an apartment or home that you rent, you’ll need to check with your landlord first. Most landlords are not required to install burglar bars just because their tenants request them. However, you can also check the laws and regulations in your local area to see whether or not you could install them yourself. If there are no laws to support your case to install burglar bars and if your landlord does not want to install them themselves or have you install them, it would be illegal for you to put them on your rental home.

If you live in a home that you own, you are legally allowed to put bars on your windows, but again, remember the dangers. Naturally, there are other things that you can do to protect your family from invasion, theft, and violence. These other options fortunately don’t necessitate  using burglar bars, which again  can be dangerous  in the event of a fire or other disaster in which occupants of a home or apartment need to get out quickly. Alternative routes include:

• Putting security cameras around your home

• Getting an alarm system installed in your home

• Keeping your windows and doors closed and locked at all times

• Keeping the exterior of your home well-lit

• Making sure that you have strong deadbolts on your doors

Get in Touch With Brinks Home™

Once you decide what system you’d like or if you’d like to learn more about your options directly from a security agent, give us a call for a free quote.

Lauren Slade is a Dallas-based writer and editor.