Best Home Security Systems for Renters of 2025

SimpliSafe Installation

Maybe the most important reason SimpliSafe is so popular with renters is that it offers simple DIY installation. In fact, the company pioneered DIY, and it has the process down to a science. Every device comes with a peel-and-stick backing that attaches to walls quickly, stays in place as long as you need it, and comes down when you’re ready to move on. We had our entire apartment set up in around 20 minutes. That’s not a record, but it’s pretty close to it.

Here’s one of our experts installing the SimpliSafe motion sensors with adhesive backing.

SimpliSafe Professional Monitoring

Professional monitoring has become one of SimpliSafe’s biggest selling points. It doesn’t quite have ADT’s 12 fully-redundant monitoring centers, but SimpliSafe’s video verification feature is one of a kind. When we tested ADT, the alarm center verified alerts from our system using our security cameras. With SimpliSafe, they even used the two-way talk on our cameras to scare us away while we were pretending to be burglars during our break-in simulations.

That feature, called Live Guard Protection, uses the Smart Alarm wireless indoor camera. After our entry sensor picked up a potential break-in (us entering the house while the system was armed), the camera’s privacy cover snapped open, letting the monitoring center see our living room. As soon as we were in front of the camera, the speaker came alive and a stern, male voice asked us to verify our identity.

Live Guard Protection is included in SimpliSafe’s mid-tier monitoring plan called Core. It’s what we recommend, but there are other subscription plans available.  Here’s an overview of SimpliSafe’s monitoring plans and their costs:

SimpliSafe Video Doorbell

Kudos to SimpliSafe for making a video doorbell with multiple setup options. When we tested the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro, we were impressed by how easy it was to adjust motion sensor sensitivity. That can be a crucial tool for apartment dwellers, since you tend to have traffic by your front door. False alerts can convince you it’s OK to let some go. When you know every alert is meaningful, you’re more likely to pay attention to all of them.

Of all the SimpliSafe devices we tested, the video doorbell was the only one that needed both hardwiring and drilling.

Unfortunately, SimpliSafe only offers its video doorbell in a hardwired version. The installation process isn’t all that hard, but it involves shutting off your power which can be tricky in an apartment. You’ll also need some tools and permission from your landlord. If a doorbell is your priority, you’ll like the Google Nest Doorbell that’s available with an ADT system.

ADT Installation

ADT is one of the only companies out there that offers full, professional installation, and there’s something to be said for letting techs set up your equipment. ADT has been offering this service for 150 years, and it’s pretty good at it. You can be sure everything gets installed in the best possible spots, and techs even go over with you how to use the system. Plus, you know, you can put your feet up and watch the game.

You can now install ADT systems yourself, though, and that’s often the best option for apartment dwellers. ADT has streamlined the process with peel-and-stick options. Of course, the other bonus to DIYing your installation is that you don’t have to pay a dime to get your equipment set up. As nice as it is to let someone else do all the work, professional installation can cost upwards of $150.

Here’s how our ADT control panel looked right after installation.

ADT now offers Google Nest cameras, packed with some of the most advanced tech in the industry. Even these, though, were completely DIY install. In fact, the particular Google Nest Doorbell we tested was battery-powered so it was even easier to install than the SimpliSafe wired video doorbell. Plus, while professional installation is nice and all, it does cost money. DIY is 100-percent free.

ADT Professional Monitoring

With 12 redundant monitoring centers across North America, ADT offers the most reliable professional monitoring service in the industry. Of course, it’s not the cheapest, but for the quality, the value is there. Plus, you can always switch to free self-monitoring if you need to save a few bucks because your landlord raised your rent. Here’s a breakdown of ADT’s monitoring plans:

ADT Video Doorbell

Like we mentioned, ADT now offers the Google Nest Doorbell. It’s wireless and battery-powered, making it ideal for apartments. Of course, this doorbell is compatible with Google Home, but it works with Alexa, too. It features everything we look for in a video doorbell, including a wide field of view and two-way talk, plus a few extras.

Like most doorbell cameras, the Nest Doorbell can tell the difference between people, packages, cars, and animals. But Nest takes this a step further with facial recognition software. That way, we got alerts saying “Alex is at the front door” instead of “Someone is at the front door.” This is useful for tracking any apartment maintenance and ensuring your landlord is meeting their obligations according to the lease.

Not only do you get customized alerts, but you can set your security system to let people you trust in automatically. No more leaving the key under the mat for the dogwalker.

>> Compare: ADT vs Ring Comparison – Which Security System is Best?

That’s everything we received from the Nest Doorbell (battery) box.

As for the Google Nest Doorbell, it’s battery-powered as previously mentioned, which makes installation a breeze. We really liked the familiar face detection on it though. This lets the camera automatically start to recognize people. Then, we could attach names to the faces it started to recognize to make our alerts smarter. So, by the end of our time with the Google Nest Doorbell, we got alerts that said “Alex is at the front door” instead of “Someone is at the front door” when our friend would stop by.

Cove Installation

You can have your Cove system professionally installed if you like, but there’s really no need for it. It’s incredibly easy to install. Cove packed our equipment into the box in the exact order we needed to get it out. Hub first. Once we had that plugged in, we had the master code that connected all the other sensors and cameras.

Everything was peel and stick, which not only made the process faster but ensured we didn’t have to put any drill holes into our rented walls. Meanwhile, almost everything plugged into an outlet, so we didn’t have to worry about wiring either. 30 minutes to get the whole Cove security system installed, and we saved $125 by doing it all ourselves.

It was as easy as plugging in the hub, setting up a master code, mounting some sensors, and installing the cameras. There was no need to drill holes in the wall or mess around with the internal wiring. Most devices are battery-powered or plug into a socket, and the sensors stick to the wall with adhesives.

Cove Professional Monitoring

Cove is now one of the few home security companies that still requires professional monitoring. It means Cove won’t work as a no-monthly-fee option. However, there are no long-term contracts like you’ll find with Vivint or Alder. Cancelling is as easy as calling customer support.

Besides, professional monitoring is always the safer route. Both of their affordable plans come with 24/7 protection and feature a 100 percent cellular connection. The last time a major storm came through our area, we lost power and, of course, Wi-Fi. Our Cove system kept on working, though, for the full 18 hours.

Cove Video Doorbell

YI Indoor Camera for Cove

Cove doesn’t manufacture its own cameras, which means you wind up paying a couple of dollars more than you might with, say, Ring. The good news is that Cove offers Eufy doorbells, and Eufy is among the best camera companies in the business. Cove’s doorbell features 2K resolution, higher than the industry standard, and two-way talk, so you can chat with your mailman when they drop off packages.

We were particularly impressed with this doorbell’s ability to detect visitors through sound as well as movement. Plus, with a built-in Micro SD card, we didn’t have to pay a monthly cloud storage fee. Cove does offer cloud storage plans, but they’re $2.99 per month per camera, and that’s on top of monitoring costs. Free is always our preferred option.

Frontpoint Installation

Frontpoint is one of the best DIY systems. Instructions are clear, and everything is peel and stick. We got everything up in thirty minutes, and it didn’t cost us a dime. We did call the support team during testing though to make sure we’re on the right track. They were kind and professional. For instance, we asked about the best spot to put our motion sensor, and they told us to position it in the corner of the room between five feet and seven feet off the floor. Exactly right.

We loved the equipment quality, but the sensors were bulkier than we expected.

Frontpoint Professional Monitoring

So Frontpoint recently overhauled its monitoring plans to provide customers with more choice, and we’re definitely intrigued. You can still sign up for Frontpoint’s full professional monitoring service, which not only protects you from intrusions but also from environmental dangers like flooding, fires, and carbon monoxide. You get some of the fastest home security response times in the industry for around $50 a month.

You can also now self-monitor. Sort of. Frontpoint doesn’t have a true no-monthly-fee plan, but you can choose to monitor your own system for just $15 a month. For that price, you not only get real-time alerts and access to video footage, smart home controls, and some clever video analytics that let you set up alerts for just the events you care about. We set ours to ignore our dog, for instance, unless he jumped up on the couch.

Frontpoint Video Doorbell

Renters don’t always need a lot of cameras. We live in a third-floor walkup, for instance, so we don’t need an outdoor camera. We do like having eyes on our landing, though, and Frontpoint’s wireless doorbell does that job perfectly. We didn’t have to fiddle with our apartment’s wiring, and we had the device up in just about ten minutes.

We should point out that Frontpoint does offer a wired version of its doorbell, and it eliminates the need to change the battery out every six months. Its only other advantage, though, is that it works in temperatures down to 58 degrees below zero.

Alder Installation

Alder’s installation is one of the most streamlined in the industry. All the equipment is wireless and uses a peel and stick backing for installation so we didn’t need a single tool to get our system up. But, what impressed us most was that the equipment came pre-programmed so our was ready-to-go as soon as we installed it.

Alder Professional Monitoring

A lot of renters prefer self-monitoring since it saves a little extra money, and it avoids long-term contracts. Unfortunately, that’s not an option with Alder. They require a three-year commitment to professional monitoring. We recommend professional monitoring for everyone, though, even renters.

Alder offers three monitoring plans. The Basic Plan covers sensors for $40 a month. The Standard Plan costs an additional $5 a month but adds home automation. At $55, the Premium Plan includes all that, plus camera coverage.

Alder Video Doorbell

Alder just recently changed its video doorbell option. The company used to offer Skybell devices. Now they manufacture their own doorbell. It features 2K resolution (about twice as clear as the industry standard 1080p), two-way audio, and full-color night vision. There’s also built-in person detection technology which minimizes false alerts.

Alder Security Cameras