Security in a residential highrise is not the same as security in a commercial building. The residents are not employees with fixed schedules. Guests arrive at all hours. The common areas lobby, parkade, amenity rooms, rooftop are shared spaces that a range of people move through every day. And the expectations that come with it are high, because for the people who live there, this is home.
Vancouver has thousands of strata-titled highrise and midrise buildings. Many strata councils and property managers are asking the same questions: Do we need a guard or a concierge? What shift structure actually makes sense for our building? How do we handle incidents in a way that protects both residents and the strata corporation?
This guide addresses those questions directly.
The Security Challenges That Are Specific to Vancouver Highrise Buildings
Urban highrise properties in Vancouver face risks that low-density or commercial properties do not. Understanding them helps strata councils make better decisions about the type and level of security coverage their building actually needs.
Lobby Access and Tailgating
Unauthorised entry through the main lobby typically by following a resident through a secured door is the most common security problem in Vancouver highrise buildings. It is called tailgating, and it happens many times a day in buildings without an active lobby presence. Most people who do it are simply being lazy about access control. But not all of them. A uniformed guard or trained concierge in the lobby creates a visible checkpoint that the vast majority of people will not attempt to bypass.
Parkade Security
Underground parkades are a consistent source of complaints in Vancouver residential buildings. Vehicle break-ins, bicycle theft, vandalism, and unauthorised vehicles taking up resident stalls. Parkade security tends to be poorly lit, have multiple entry points, and are largely out of sight from the rest of the building. Regular foot patrols through the parkade particularly during evening and overnight hours significantly reduce incident frequency. Without active patrol coverage, parkade incidents tend to cluster and repeat.
Package Theft and Lobby Management
Package theft has grown steadily across Vancouver alongside the increase in home delivery. Buildings without secure parcel storage or an active lobby presence deal with it regularly. A guard or trained concierge can sign for deliveries, control access to the mailroom, and make certain the lobby is not being used as an unsupervised waiting area. This is one of the most visible quality-of-life improvements a building can make, and residents notice it quickly.
Security Guard vs. Concierge: Understanding What Each Role Actually Covers
Many strata councils treat security guards and concierge staff as interchangeable. They are related but distinct, and understanding the difference matters when something goes wrong.
What a Licensed Security Guard Does
A security guard in Vancouver licensed under the BC Security Services Act is trained and authorised to enforce property access policies, respond to incidents on the premises, document and report unauthorised activity, conduct patrols on a schedule, and contact police when the situation calls for it. Their primary function is the protection of the building and the people in it.
What a Concierge Does
A concierge handles resident services accepting deliveries, answering resident questions, booking common area facilities, managing visitors, and providing a professional face for the building’s front desk. Some concierge staff have basic security awareness training, but they are not licenced security guards and should not be placed in situations that require one.
When You Need a Guard, Not a Concierge
If your building has had incidents involving people who should not have been on the premises, repeated tailgating through secured doors, parkade break-ins, noise situations requiring police involvement, or any confrontational incident in a common area you need a licenced security guard. Many Vancouver highrise buildings run both: a guard during overnight shifts when incidents are more likely, and a concierge during daytime hours when resident services demands are higher.
What Effective Highrise Security Coverage Looks Like in Practice
Shift Structure
A standard security schedule for a Vancouver highrise typically runs across three shifts: day (7 AM to 3 PM), evening (3 PM to 11 PM), and overnight (11 PM to 7 AM). Most incident reports cluster in the evening and overnight windows parkade events, unauthorised entry attempts, and noise complaints are consistently more frequent after 9 PM. Some buildings run security only during evening and overnight shifts, with concierge coverage during the day, which reflects that pattern.
What Guards Should Be Doing Per Shift
A shift should include: lobby presence during high-traffic entry and exit windows, a minimum of two parkade patrols, checks of common areas including amenity rooms, garbage and recycling rooms, laundry facilities, and any accessible rooftop or exterior areas, documentation of any incidents or unusual observations regardless of their apparent severity, and a written handover briefing for the incoming guard at shift change.
The handover matters more than it is often given credit for. A guard coming on shift who knows that a situation occurred two hours ago is better positioned to manage that building than one who starts completely cold.
Incident Documentation Standards
Every incident including minor ones needs to be written up at the time it occurs. This protects the strata corporation legally, gives property management a record to reference when patterns emerge, and holds the security company accountable for the quality of their response. Before hiring a security company, ask to see a sample incident report. What gets written in that document, and how clearly, tells you a great deal about how seriously a company takes the work.
Common Incidents in Vancouver Condo Buildings and How Security Handles Them
Unauthorised Entry and Trespassing
A guard observes and documents, then approaches individuals who cannot demonstrate they are residents or authorised guests. If the individual does not leave voluntarily, the guard contacts police. A guard does not physically remove anyone that is not their role, and attempting it creates liability for both the guard and the strata corporation. What matters is a calm approach, clear documentation, and appropriate escalation.
Noise and Conduct Complaints
This is one of the most frequent situations guards handle in Vancouver residential buildings gatherings that run past building quiet hours, disputes between neighbours in common areas, groups using amenity spaces without a booking. Guards do not adjudicate disputes. They observe, document, and request compliance with building rules. If a situation escalates beyond what verbal communication can resolve, police are called and everything is documented.
Bicycle and Vehicle Theft in Parkades
Bike theft is a persistent problem across Metro Vancouver, and highrise parkades are a primary target. Security patrols through the bike storage area reduce frequency. Guards should check that bike storage is properly secured at the start and end of each shift, note any bikes left unsecured or any signs of tampering, and document the condition of the area consistently. A pattern of minor tampering often precedes actual theft.
How to Write a Security Scope of Work for Your Strata Corporation
Before approaching a security company in Canada, your strata council should define what you actually need in writing. This protects you during the procurement process and makes it much easier to hold a company accountable once a contract is in place.
A solid scope should include: the specific shifts you need covered with start and end times, the exact duties expected per shift broken down by area of the building, your reporting requirements including format and response time expectations, a definition of what constitutes an incident requiring immediate notification versus a routine log entry, how guard replacements are handled when a shift cannot be covered, and the process for escalating an ongoing issue that requires strata council attention.
A company that resists putting these specifics in writing is not a company you want managing security in your building.
Frequently Asked Questions — Highrise and Condo Security in Vancouver
- How many security guards does a highrise in Vancouver typically need per shift?
Most buildings run one guard per shift. Buildings with complex layouts, multiple towers, high incident histories, or very large common areas may use two or more. A security company should walk the building and review recent incident data before recommending a staffing level. A recommendation made without that site knowledge is not worth much. - What should a strata council look for when hiring a security company in Vancouver?
Confirm that all guards hold a current BC Security Services Act licence. Ask specifically about their experience in residential highrise settings. Request a sample incident report and a sample shift log. Ask how they handle missed shifts. Ask for references from strata corporations in Vancouver, not just commercial clients. - Can a strata corporation face liability for security incidents in a condo building?
Strata corporations have a legal obligation to maintain common property in a reasonably safe condition. This includes addressing known security risks. While each situation involves specific legal facts, a documented security programme with guard logs, incident reports, and written protocols can be relevant if a liability claim arises from an incident in a common area. Consult a strata lawyer for advice specific to your corporation’s situation. - How do we know if our current security coverage is actually working?
Review incident logs from the past six to twelve months. Look for repeat incidents of the same type in the same location those indicate a gap in coverage or a protocol that is not working. Survey residents through your AGM or a building-wide questionnaire. If residents feel consistently unsafe or the number of incidents is climbing, the current programme needs to be reviewed.
Imperial Security Group has protected residential highrises and strata-titled properties across Vancouver and Metro BC since 1993. To discuss security coverage for your building, visit our residential highrise security page or contact our Vancouver team.
