Halloween is the time of the year when both costumed children and adults partake in some ghoulish and devilish fun. To trick-or-treaters going door to door inside a multifamily building, it's like a one-stop candy-shopping bonanza without even having to cross the street. Yet it can also present some safety, decorum and security issues that could really frighten residents and building staff--and not in the fun Halloween sense.

New York City-based property management company Argo Real Estate recently offered its list of suggestions to building managers and staff who are preparing for this year's Halloween festivities. Those tips were accompanied by a cute video the company produced, which you can watch here.

“We love to do fun things that also have real content for our buildings,” explains Emily Astrof-Bernstein, director management operations for Argo, about the company's latest initiative. “The marketing team at Argo wanted to do it and make it fun. So merging the fun with the important information was a no-brainer.” 

Astrof-Bernstein says the tips were based on repeated suggestions they received about children safety and that “the buildings want to get this right.” One issue the buildings faced was “unauthorized trick-or-treaters trying to enter property.”

Before the Kids Arrive

Here are some of the tips that Argo offered to buildings as they're planning to mark Halloween this coming Monday:

• Place stickers on residents' doors, which “allows trick-or-treaters to know which apartment is participating so that those not participating is not disturb,” says Astrof-Bernstein.

Following these tips should hopefully ensure building residents and staff a safe and drama-free Halloween. As for the young and old trick-or-treaters, Astrof-Berrnstein says: “Have a blast! Just think about the fact that trick-or-treating in buildings means twice the haul as suburban kids who have much further to walk to get the treat.” 

David Chiu is an associate editor at The Cooperator.