
With regards to professional monitoring, you can expect to pay between $15 and $30 a month for the service, which generally covers any access fees as well. This is lower than the $37 average on traditional security systems and doesn't require a contract; not all DIY security systems have professional monitoring. What equipment should you get?Begin with a starter kit that covers your basic DIY home security needs such as the number of
motion detectors and entry sensors for your home's size. From there, you can choose other devices to enhance the surveillance around your home. Most of the systems we tested sell add ons to boost your security beyond the basics. The most useful add ons are third party smart home devices. Scout Alarm, abode, SimpliSafe, SwannOne, Wink and Iris by Lowe's can all integrate with Nest, which means you can set up your home security system to work with other Nest products such as a security camera. Half of the systems we tested can also use If This Then That IFTTT, a free internet based automation service that helps DIY security systems and third party smart home devices work together. Of course IFTTT goes beyond smart home tasks, but we're unsure if linking your security system to financial services and restaurants has any material benefits at
this time. Very few systems offer smoke detectors as an add on, and in the case of home8alarm, it uses a fireman device to send alerts when your smoke detectors go off. Most DIY security systems in our tests sell security cameras that record video if it detects motion, which can be used to help with police reports or insurance claims.
Nest Secure is a great option for
apartments for a few reasons. One, they offer month to month contracting, which is awesome because you might not be there forever especially if the dryers don’t get fixed soon— sorry, that’s just me projecting a little. Two, the installation is super easy and won’t require any drilling or hardwiring in your rented space, and three, you can choose to self monitor if you’d like. I also like that the Nest Secure system is super minimalist with only five components. In a smaller space, the last thing you want to be bogged down with is an extensive security system. Nest Secure will blend right into your space.

You can still change
dealers at any time of course but it will require a factory reset defaulting the panel which blows away all existing panel settings and zone configuration. Honeywell has decided, and just for Lyric it seems, to make dealer “takeovers” of monitoring accounts very difficult since they now require the new dealer or DIY homeowner to reenter/reprogram all wireless sensors and more into the controller from scratch. If you start with a good monitoring vendor this will never be a problem, but we have an issue making it so burdensome for users to switch if their dealer service levels fall or their pricing is no longer competitive. If you don’t buy the equipment outright, Vivint requires either a four or five year contract — a long time to commit, especially given that you only have three days from the date of install to cancel. Afterwards, you’ll have to pay out the remainder of
your contract. If you may be moving in the near future, it’ll cost you $99 to take the system with you. You could alternatively renew your contract, but then you’d be locked in for even longer. Vivint will waive any cancellation fees for extenuating circumstances like death, military circumstances, bankruptcy, or a move to assisted living. Still, it’s best to be intentional if you decide on Vivint. ADT doesn’t have the strongest customer service reputation among the companies we considered, racking up more than 3,000 complaints on its Better Business Bureau page. While we chalked most of this up to the fact that ADT has several million more customers than its competitors, our tester began his call with low expectations.