Most people ask the wrong questions about estate security. Here is the list that experienced JHB North residents wish they had asked before signing.
Most buyers and renters visiting an estate for a viewing ask one security question: "Is it safe?" That question will get a yes from every seller and letting agent in JHB North. These 12 questions get past the marketing and into the operational reality.
Access control questions
- 1. What is the visitor access process: pre-registration app, OTP, or manual book? (Manual books have the lowest accountability)
- 2. Can residents enter without interacting with a guard? If yes, what verification does that method use?
- 3. Are there secondary access points (back entrances, service gates) and who controls them?
- 4. When was the access control technology last upgraded?
Armed response and patrol questions
- 5. Is the armed response on-site 24 hours or a reactionary service with a response time? If reactionary, what is the guaranteed response time?
- 6. How many guards are on duty at night versus day?
- 7. Has the estate had a security breach in the last 12 months? If yes, what changed after it?
- 8. Who is the armed response provider and what is the contract term? (Short-term contracts suggest instability)
CCTV and perimeter questions
- 9. What is the CCTV retention period and who has access to footage?
- 10. Is the full perimeter fenced with an active electric fence? Is it armed or only alarmed?
- 11. Are there dead spots or blind areas in the CCTV coverage?
- 12. Does the body corporate minutes from the last AGM reflect any security incidents or expenditure on security upgrades?
The AGM minutes test
Requesting the last two years of AGM minutes is the fastest way to understand the estate's real security history. Any breach, upgrade, or dispute with the security provider will be recorded there. A seller or letting agent who cannot provide these within 5 business days is a yellow flag.
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Published March 24, 2026