State-wide requirements are in state housing laws, available online and in law and public libraries. In many instances, landlords who fail to comply with these laws are subject to fines, or the tenants themselves can install the necessary equipment and deduct the cost from their rent.

3. Think like a criminal. Even if your landlord is not subject to specific equipment laws, and has made no promises about safety or protection, you're still entitled to some measure of protection. Analyze the building -- its entrances, lighting, and windows -- as if you were a criminal on the prowl. How hard would it be to get in?

If getting in would be easy, and deterring an intruder would also be relatively simple by taking basic steps such as installing locks and lights and trimming bushes, your landlord's duty to take these steps increases. Consider the neighborhood, too: Have there been criminal incidents nearby? If so, your landlord is bound to take more effective steps than if the area were completely crime-free.

4. Meet with your landlord. Explain your concerns to your landlord. Point out any local or state laws that apply, the landlord's promised security measures, and the results of your analysis of the building's vulnerability to intruders. Make specific requests, and follow up with a written request.

Surprisingly, many landlords faced with determined and knowledgeable tenants will listen up as they realize that not taking care of business can, in the long run, be much more expensive and time-consuming than paying attention to the problem now.

5. Get help from the government. If gentle persuasion doesn't produce results, consider calling in reinforcements. If a local or state ordinance is involved, file a complaint with the agency in charge of enforcing it.

6. Break the lease and move. If security problems make your rented home truly unlivable -- for example, safety breaches have allowed intruders to gain access, and there's no reason to think that you or your home won't be next -- you may have grounds for breaking the lease or rental agreement and moving out, without liability for future rent. First, however, you must give the landlord a reasonable time in which to correct the problem.