Alarm System with no contract?

Question

Can anyone please recommend a reliable alarm system that requires no contract or has a 1 yr contract for renters? Our landlord gave us permission to install an alarm system in the condo that we're renting for 2 years, but Brinx requires the owner to set it up and has a 3 year contract. It looks like ADT has a 3 year contract as well and doesn't have that great of customer service. Any recommendations? Thanks!

Answer 1

You might consider buying a radio-type intrusion detection system..  The detection devices operate on batteries that should last two years.

I have been happy with X 10 products.  You can find them on the Internet.

Answer 2

actually the best alarm system is a dog, a small dog, they sound off and you can take appropriate actions without disturbing the donut munching coffee slurping pigs we commonly call cops.

Answer 3

You might find it difficult to find a system that meets your needs, but I'd suggest you think hard about getting an alarm system in the first place.

The first question you have to answer is whether you want the alarm primarily to protect yourselves when you're home or primarily to protect your possessions when you're away. The first is a valid reason, especially if you live in a high-crime area. If it's the second, though, an alarm system might not be cost-effective. In most areas police no longer respond to house alarms directly; the alarm company has to call you to confirm you didn't mistakenly trip the alarm before contacting the police. This process could take five or ten minutes. Burglars know this, which is why an alarm is no longer an effective deterrent - if they can get what they want in five minutes, they're not going to worry about what could happen ten minutes after they leave.

I figured out that the cost of having an alarm (including a landline that would only be used for the alarm) for two years would cost me more than the sum total of anything burglars could conceivably steal.