4 Reasons I Don't Want to Live in a Gated Community Ever Again

Over a year ago, I bought a house and moved into a gated community. Gated communities were very common in the area where we were looking for a house and I actually wasn't able to find a property I was interested in at the time that did not have this security feature.

After living there for a while, I have decided that I will do my best to avoid ever moving into a gated community again. Here's why the next time I get a mortgage and pick a place to purchase, there won't be a gate that controls entry to the neighborhood.

1. It's a hassle to have friends come visit

Living in a gated community may sound fun -- until you have to deal with people coming over to see you. We don't have a system where you can just have people call and get buzzed in (like some communities do), nor is there a guard at our gate who we can give our guests' names to. Instead, we have to send our guests a pass they have to scan on their phone. This is annoying for everyone.

Even in communities with a better entry system, it's still a hassle. You'd have to approve visitors with a guard, for instance, or be available to answer the phone when friends call at the gate and hope the system works perfectly so they can get in quickly.

It's a whole lot easier to just be able to have friends pop by without this aggravation -- especially if you're having a big party like for birthdays or sporting events.

2. Using deliveries and ridesharing services is tricky

Dealing with deliveries and ridesharing services is also tricky. While UPS, FedEx, and other major delivery services can get in, drivers who deliver food or provide ridesharing services often can't. This means we have to meet them at the gate if we want to be able to get our stuff when they don't have an entry code.

3. There's a cost associated with maintaining the gate

In our neighborhood, we pay association dues to help cover the costs of maintaining the gate. Since we don't have a guard, this isn't a huge added expense per household. But, we looked at several other neighborhoods where there was a guard present at all times, and the HOA fees were much higher as a result of having to pay the guard their salary.

4. It's not that secure

Finally, the biggest issue is that our gated community isn't really that secure. Now, this might be different if we had a guard. But, in our neighborhood, we've seen cars follow other vehicles in and gain access to the neighborhood without scanning a pass of their own or otherwise proving they are authorized to enter. And we've even had some car break-ins here, which has never happened in other places we've lived.

Ultimately, we've decided the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits of a gated community and we'll be steering clear in the future when we buy our next home.