Best Safe for an Apartment – 7 Picks Renters Can Move and Secure

Best safe for an apartment – the short answer

Pick by what you store and by whether your lease lets you drill. Here is my shortlist:

• Best overall: SentrySafe SFW123GDC, UL 1 hour at up to 1,700°F, ETL 24 hours in 8 inches of water, 86.69 lb.
• Best heavy no-drill safe: SentrySafe SFW205CWB, same ratings, 124.8 lb, about 2 cubic feet.
• Best for documents and leaks: SentrySafe HD4100, ETL verified for 72 hours submerged.
• Best battery-free safe: First Alert 2087F, UL 1 hour, mechanical dial.
• Best budget theft deterrent: Amazon Basics 25EI, no fire rating, 18.26 lb.
• Best fingerprint safe: Viking VS-20BLX, no fire rating, 18 lb.
• Best grab-and-go chest: SentrySafe 1200, UL 30 minutes, 13 lb.

None of the seven carries a UL burglary rating. Those sit on dealer safes that weigh hundreds of pounds, which most apartments can’t take up the stairs.

The best apartment safes, reviewed

Each apartment safe below solves a different renter problem: weight, water, batteries, budget or speed. Specs come from the makers’ pages and Amazon listings; owner notes come from Walmart, SentrySafe’s site and Reddit.

SentrySafe SFW123GDC: Best overall apartment safe

3.6Best Safe Spec Score out of 5

• Security (lock and build)6/10
• Fire protection8/10
• Access (speed and ease)8/10
• Capacity7/10
• Value8/10

I scored it high for its UL fire and ETL water ratings and fast keypad; security stays entry level because it has no burglary rating, and owners' delivery dents and keypad reports cost a point.

How we score

Check price on Amazon

What owners and reviewers say review themes from 1,991 owner reviews, plus 16 posts and reviews we read

Praised for

• Plenty of room for document folders, with a useful locking drawer
• Easy to program a code, and the interior light helps

Common complaints

• Several Walmart reviewers received a safe that arrived dented or damaged
• A few owners on SentrySafe's review page report trouble opening it with the code or key

Read on: Walmart customer reviews: SentrySafe SFW123GDC (767 reviews) · SentrySafe.com customer reviews: SFW123GDC (1,224 reviews)

Who it's for: Renters keeping passports, cash and a few drives in a closet; it has no burglary rating, and bolting it down needs your landlord's OK, so hide it and use its weight.

I put this one first because both of its ratings come from labs, not the box. SentrySafe says it is UL Classified to protect contents for 1 hour in up to 1700°F, and it is Intertek ETL verified for 24 hours in 8 inches of water. Inside are 1.23 cubic feet (13.8 x 12.6 x 11.9 in), a locking drawer and a light; the door has four 1-inch live-locking bolts and a pry-resistant hinge bar.

For a renter the 86.69 lb weight is the quiet feature. One person can’t carry it to the door, yet two people can take it down the stairs at move-out. It ships with bolt-down hardware, so if your landlord approves a closet anchor, you’re ready.

Owners on Walmart like the room for folders and the easy keypad. The complaints I’d weigh: several received units that arrived dented, and a few on SentrySafe’s own page report trouble opening it with the code or key. Keep the backup key somewhere other than the safe.

SentrySafe SFW205CWB: Best heavy safe for a closet floor

3.7Best Safe Spec Score out of 5

• Security (lock and build)7/10
• Fire protection8/10
• Access (speed and ease)6/10
• Capacity9/10
• Value7/10

I gave it top capacity and the best security score here for its weight and six bolts, with independent fire and water ratings; I took points off access for the slower dial and its size.

How we score

Check price on Amazon

What owners and reviewers say review themes from 353 owner reviews, plus 3 posts and reviews we read

Praised for

• One owner said the door swings easily and locks more easily than their 1.2 cu ft SentrySafe
• The big dial has large, clear numbers

Common complaints

• Two owners reported shipping damage, one cosmetic and one unit that arrived damaged

Read on: SentrySafe owner reviews: SFW205CWB (353 reviews)

Who it's for: Renters on a ground floor or with an elevator who store binders, cash and jewelry together; it needs two people and a hand truck, and the dial is slower than a keypad.

This is my answer for the renter who can’t drill a single hole. The SentrySafe SFW205CWB weighs 124.8 lb per SentrySafe, so a thief needs a partner and a hand truck. It has the same UL 1-hour, 1,700°F fire rating and ETL 24-hour water rating as the SFW123GDC, plus six live-locking bolts and about 2 cubic feet inside (19.6 x 14.8 x 11.9 in), enough for binders, a laptop and a jewelry box.

The trade-offs are size and speed. It stands 23.8 inches tall and 19.3 inches deep, so measure your closet and stairwell before ordering. The lock is a dial, which never needs batteries but is slow if you need something fast. One owner on SentrySafe’s site found the door easier to lock than their smaller SentrySafe; two others reported shipping damage, so inspect it on delivery.

SentrySafe HD4100: Best for documents and water from upstairs

3.2Best Safe Spec Score out of 5

• Security (lock and build)3/10
• Fire protection8/10
• Access (speed and ease)8/10
• Capacity6/10
• Value9/10

I rated its 30-minute UL fire and 72-hour ETL water ratings well for the money; security stays low because it is a key-lock box owners say has a flimsy latch.

How we score

Check price on Amazon

What owners and reviewers say from 6 reviews and posts we read

Praised for

• Sturdy box at an affordable price
• Right size for a household's file folders

Common complaints

• Cheap-feeling latch and a lid that is hard to push down
• Heavy with no handholds

Read on: Walmart customer reviews: SentrySafe HD4100 · ShopSavvy review summary: SentrySafe HD4100

Who it's for: Renters worried about a leak or sprinklers from the unit above who keep passports, a lease and birth certificates; the key lock only stops curious hands, so keep it out of sight.

In an apartment, water can arrive from the unit above. The SentrySafe HD4100 is my pick for that risk: ETL verified for 72 hours submerged, the longest water rating I found on these seven, plus a UL rating for 30 minutes at 1,550°F. Its 0.65 cubic foot interior (11.5 x 12 x 8.1 in) takes letter-size hanging folders for a lease, passports and birth certificates.

It is a file box, not a theft safe. The key lock keeps out curious roommates, nothing more, and Walmart owners call the latch and lid cheap-feeling. At about 39 lb it has no handholds, which owners mention, but you can still carry it out in an evacuation. I’d hide it in a closet or put it inside a larger safe.

First Alert 2087F: Best battery-free apartment safe

3.3Best Safe Spec Score out of 5

• Security (lock and build)6/10
• Fire protection8/10
• Access (speed and ease)5/10
• Capacity7/10
• Value7/10

I like its UL 1-hour rating and battery-free dial; I scored access lower for the fiddly combination and kept fire a notch down because its water claim has no lab behind it.

How we score

Check price on Amazon

What owners and reviewers say review themes from 104 owner reviews, plus 14 posts and reviews we read

Praised for

• Plenty of room for documents and valuables for the money
• Owners like that it is not digital, and the key gives quick access

Common complaints

• The combination takes practice before it opens reliably
• One owner says burglars forced it open, so it is not theft protection

Read on: Walmart customer reviews: First Alert 2087F (104 reviews) · First Alert Safes customer reviews: 2087F-BD

Who it's for: Renters who travel or leave a safe shut for months and don't want a dead battery locking them out; the dial takes practice, and it is pry resistant, not burglary rated.

Renters who travel or leave a safe closed for months worry about dead batteries. The First Alert 2087F uses a mechanical dial with an emergency override key, so there is nothing to run flat. First Alert says it is UL rated for 1 hour at up to 1,700°F, and it holds 0.94 cubic feet.

Two caveats. First Alert calls it waterproof, but names no lab for that claim, so I treat the water rating as the maker’s own. And owners on Walmart say the combination takes practice before it opens every time. One owner says burglars forced theirs open, which fits its pry-resistant, not burglary-rated, build. At roughly 76 to 82 lb depending on the listing, it is heavy enough to slow a grab; the bolt-down 2087F-BD version adds a kit if your landlord allows anchoring.

Amazon Basics Steel Security Safe 25EI: Best budget theft deterrent

2.6Best Safe Spec Score out of 5

• Security (lock and build)3/10
• Access (speed and ease)7/10
• Capacity4/10
• Value8/10

No fire claim, so I left fire out. I scored security low for its light body and the lock complaints owners raise, and value well because it does keep roommates and guests out for little money.

How we score

Check price on Amazon

What owners and reviewers say from 4 reviews and posts we read

Praised for

• Owners like the price and the simple keypad

Common complaints

• Reddit threads point to a lock weakness shown in a widely shared video
• Owners locked out after the batteries died and the override key was lost

Read on: r/amazon: AmazonBasics Security Safe flaw · r/safecracking: Amazon basics safe, dead battery and lost key

Who it's for: Renters with roommates or guests who want cash, a watch or medication locked away; bolt it to a dresser or shelf you own, and keep papers in a fire-rated box.

Not every renter needs fire protection. If you share an apartment and just want cash, a watch or medication locked away, the Amazon Basics Steel Security Safe 25EI is the cheapest way in on my list. The listing gives 0.5 cubic feet, a keypad with two override keys, two live door bolts, concealed hinges and four expansion bolts.

At 18.26 lb, though, it walks out under one arm. Business Insider got into it in about three minutes with a small sledgehammer, and owners on Reddit point to a lock weakness shown in a widely shared video. I’d only buy it to bolt to a heavy dresser or shelf you own, where it stops opportunists. Owners in r/safecracking also describe lockouts after the batteries died and the override key went missing, so store the keys elsewhere.

Viking Security Safe VS-20BLX: Best fingerprint safe for a bedroom

2.7Best Safe Spec Score out of 5

• Security (lock and build)4/10
• Access (speed and ease)9/10
• Capacity3/10
• Value6/10

No fire claim, so I left fire out. Fingerprint, PIN and key make access the fastest here, but light steel and a lock shown opened in seconds hold security back, and the box is small.

How we score

Check price on Amazon

What owners and reviewers say review themes from 5 owner reviews, plus 5 posts and reviews we read

Praised for

• Fingerprint and code both open it reliably, per two reviewers
• Costs less than similar fingerprint models

Common complaints

• One reviewer had locking bolts that would not fully retract
• Battery change means removing the LED unit with a screwdriver

Read on: Walmart customer reviews: Viking VS-20BLX (5 reviews)

Who it's for: Renters who want a passport, jewelry or medication reachable in seconds from a bedroom closet; it is about 0.3 cu ft and lightly built, so fix it to heavy furniture.

Some things you want in two seconds. The Viking Security Safe VS-20BLX opens by fingerprint (up to 32 stored), a 4-8 digit PIN or one of two override keys, and Viking says the codes stay in memory if the batteries are removed. Inside are 7.8 x 11.9 x 7.6 inches, about 0.3 cubic feet, with an LED light and a carpeted floor.

What I like least is the build. It weighs 18 lb, makes no fire claim, and a well-known lock-picking channel showed its lock opened in seconds, a worry Walmart reviewers repeat. Two reviewers say fingerprint and code both work reliably; one had bolts that wouldn’t fully retract. I’d use it for fast access to a passport or ring, bolted to furniture, not as the place for everything you own.

SentrySafe 1200: Best grab-and-go chest for renters

2.6Best Safe Spec Score out of 5

• Security (lock and build)2/10
• Fire protection7/10
• Access (speed and ease)8/10
• Capacity2/10
• Value9/10

I rate it well for value, quick access and its UL 30-minute fire rating; a privacy lock, no water seal and little space keep the rest low.

How we score

Check price on Amazon

What owners and reviewers say from 9 reviews and posts we read

Praised for

• Sturdy box that gives peace of mind for papers and small valuables
• Key code stamped on the lock makes a replacement key possible

Common complaints

• Cheap keys that broke or a lock that would not turn
• Units arriving defective or without a key

Read on: SentrySafe customer reviews: 1200

Who it's for: Renters who move often or want one box to grab on the way out; it has no water rating and only a privacy key lock, so it is fire protection, not theft protection.

If your plan in a fire is to leave fast, the SentrySafe 1200 is the box to grab. It weighs about 13 lb, has a carry handle and is UL Classified for 30 minutes at 1,550°F. The 0.18 cubic foot interior fits passports, a few certificates and a backup drive, not file folders.

It has no water rating, and SentrySafe calls the key lock basic protection. Owners on SentrySafe’s site report cheap keys and a lock that wouldn’t turn, while others like that the key code stamped on the lock makes a spare possible. I’d keep it inside the SFW205CWB or a closet, as a second fire layer you can carry.

Apartment safe comparison table

The table compares the seven apartment safes on the ratings, weight and room that decide where each one fits. Every rating names who stands behind it.

How we picked these apartment safes

We kept only safes that at least two independent top-ranking guides recommend, each with its own in-stock Amazon US listing, then checked the specs against the makers. The pages ranking for this search are mostly dealer guides and forum threads, so I also read the top guides for best home safe and best fireproof safe. Business Insider, CNN Underscored and Popular Mechanics each name two or more of the seven; the dealer guides from Safe & Vault Store and The Safe Keeper shaped the anchoring advice.

We have not used these safes ourselves. The facts come from maker pages, the guides above and 57 owner reviews and posts we read on Walmart, SentrySafe’s site and Reddit. Scores follow our how we score page, with fire left out for the two safes that make no fire claim.

From our notes: The SFW205CWB’s 124.8 lb on an 18.6 by 19.3 inch base kept bothering us, so we did the math for second-floor renters: about 50 lb per square foot on its footprint. The Safe Keeper’s installer guide puts residential floors around 40 lb per square foot of live load, but notes the subfloor spreads a safe’s weight across several joists. That is why we kept it on the list and why we tell upper-floor renters to set it against a wall, across the joists.

Which apartment safe should you get?

Match the safe to what you store first, then to what your lease allows. This is my own decision rule:

If you also keep a firearm, the storage rules in your state and city apply too; our gun safe for apartment renters guide covers those picks. This is general information, not legal advice.

How to secure an apartment safe without drilling

You can secure a safe in a rental with weight, concealment and furniture you own, and ask before you drill. Here is the order I’d follow:

1. Pick a closet floor out of sight from the front door; a closet limits the room a thief has to pry.
2. Use weight: an 86 lb or heavier safe can’t be carried off by one person.
3. Bolt a light safe (the Amazon Basics or Viking) to a heavy dresser, nightstand or shelf you own, using its pre-drilled holes.
4. Loop a steel security cable around a bed frame or closet rod for small boxes; it slows a grab, though a cable can be cut.
5. Ask your landlord in writing to anchor into a closet stud wall, and offer to patch the two holes at move-out.
6. Never drill a concrete floor in a mid-rise without asking; The Safe Keeper warns that post-tension slabs hide steel tendons.

Renters in r/homedefense make the same point bluntly: any safe in an apartment should be anchored somehow, even a heavy one. Light safes can be carried off, and that is the most common worry in the threads we read.

Apartment safe weight, floors and move-out day

Weight is the one number that predicts both how hard a safe is to steal and how hard it is to move. Our seven picks fall into three groups:

• Under 20 lb (SentrySafe 1200, Viking VS-20BLX, Amazon Basics 25EI): one person carries it; fix it to furniture or keep it hidden.
• About 39 to 87 lb (HD4100, First Alert 2087F, SFW123GDC): awkward for one person; the 2087F and SFW123GDC need two to carry on stairs.
• 124.8 lb (SFW205CWB): two people and a hand truck, both for a burglar and for you.

Measure the stairwell, elevator and closet door before ordering, and empty the safe before every move. Patch any approved anchor holes before the walkthrough so they don’t come out of your deposit.

Fire and water ratings that matter in an apartment

In an apartment your fire risk includes your neighbors, so look for a lab-tested fire rating and a water rating. NFPA counted 76,000 apartment or other multi-family housing fires in the US in 2024. A fire two units away can still bring smoke and sprinkler water into yours.

That is why I weighted water ratings: the HD4100 is ETL verified for 72 hours submerged, the two SFW models for 24 hours in 8 inches, while the First Alert’s claim is its own and the 1200 has none. All five fire ratings above come from UL testing and cover paper, not USB drives, so keep digital backups in the cloud too.

Insurance is the other half. Triple-I says renters policies generally cover up to 1,500 dollars for jewelry or other expensive items lost to fire or theft, so schedule anything worth more and keep receipts in the safe.

Apartment safe problems owners run into, and the fix

Most apartment safe problems come from a safe that is too light, a lost key or damp inside a sealed box.

• Carried off whole. A recurring complaint in r/homedefense; one reply says small safes are “not really fireproof, but if you bolt them down they are reasonably secure against most casual theft attempts.” Fix: go heavy or fix it to furniture.
• Locked out. “If you lost the override key it’s a problem,” as an r/Safes reply puts it. Keep the key outside the safe, change batteries yearly, and see our SentrySafe battery replacement guide.
• Fire or theft, not both. These seven trade burglary ratings for fire ratings; for both, buy a dealer burglary safe if your floor and lease allow it.
• Mold on papers. A Collectors Universe member warns that “Fireproof safes are notorious for holding moisture.” Add a rechargeable desiccant and open the safe monthly.
• “Fireproof” doubts. Trust a rating that names the lab, time and temperature, like the UL ratings above.

Before you order, read your lease on drilling and then work through our safe buying checklist. If you own your place or plan to, our best home safe picks compare the bolt-down options, and the best fireproof document safe guide goes deeper on papers.