There is always a risk of breaking and entering if you live in a neighborhood that is a potential target for such atrocities. Did you know that in the US, a burglary occurs approximately every 18 seconds, claimed by the FBI? Now that stats don’t mean that your house or rental is a target, but seeing the high numbers of break-ins, it’s better to be proactive and prudent than suffer the damage.You know what they say, better safe than sorry.
Most rentals haven’t got any security devices as the landlords, as well as property managers, think they are costly and unnecessary. Hence they don’t invest in such devices. However, not all security hacks have to be expensive; there are several ways you can have tight security without having to spend much. If you are looking for such hacks and tips, here’s what you need to do.
What you need to do:
As a landlord or a property manager, it is your duty to provide security to your tenants as well as safeguard your property. Let’s check out the many ways you can do that without spending a lot of security devices.
Decals/Decoys:
Apply the famous “fake it till you make it” ideas to your rental’s security. When you can’t invest much in cameras, all you need is decoys. Start by sticking decals and stickers of popular and top-notch alarm systems and security companies around your rental. Use it on your windows as well as on your doors and yard fences. Target all the areas that a burglar might strike; in $10 or less, you will be able to make the burglars think that you have a tough security system in place around your home. They will think twice before entering your place.
This might seem like a big risk to take, but it’s been suggested through research done at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology that more than 60 percent of burglars would abandon the target if they see an alarm or security system in place. Burglars are always looking for an easy target, a house where they can break-in, steal, and be out in a matter of minutes. They don’t like getting things complicated by an alarm system. By using decoys, you will save yourself from such break-ins.
Faking the whole thing has another point, use fake cameras too. By mounting fake cameras that do not work but look real, you can fool any burglar into thinking that your rental is under a watchful eye. To make the cameras look real, all you need is a blinking LED light that will make the cameras look like they are working.
Timers for Lights:
Here’s an ingenious idea to confuse the burglar. Buy inexpensive timers for your lights. Setting these timers in different rooms and gardens will flick on the lights at random hours. This will confuse the thieves, and they will have a hard time nailing down a consistent schedule. This way, they will never know when the house is alone or vacant to strike. Soon they will leave your place and strike someplace else; they wouldn’t want to take the risk to get caught.
As a landlord, there is a limited amount for you to do to make your property safe. Your tenants also have the responsibility towards the place they are living in, so you need to let your tenants know exactly what they need to do to keep themselves as well as the property safe from incidents and break-ins. Here’s what you need to remind your tenants regularly.
Be Prudent and Discreet:
The outdoors should stay out, do not advertise the house and what’s in it by leaving your windows, curtains, and blinds open all day long. This is how the thieves and buglers assess a place; they can see all your belongings through your windows. TV fridge, Ac units, and other electronic items can easily be seen through open windows and curtains. Make sure your tenant understands this and follows the rules of keeping curtains closed at all times.
Statistics show that most break-ins happen around noon when the burglars are sure the house is empty and the owner is out running errands or picking kids up from school. With the curtains drawn and the windows shut, they can never be sure whether someone’s home or not.
The Ultimate Checklist:
When you know your area is prone to break-ins, certain measures should become routine, like using a checklist whenever leaving the house. Create a leaving-house checklist and hand that to every tenant that moves into your house. This checklist should include, lock all doors and windows point at the very top of the list. Most break-ins happen because the owner left the door or window unlocked, making it too easy for the thieves to enter and exit without setting the alarm off. Once the tenants get in the habit of flowing your list, locking doors, and checking them when they levee, the house will become second nature.
Stashing the Valuables:
8 to 12 minutes is the maximum time thieves and burglars spend in a home they break-in; this means that they will grab whatever they have insight and leave. They will rummage through drawers but won’t bother opening the safe or go looking for hidden treasures. They want to get in and out within minutes; they can’t risk getting caught. Hence you need to advise your tenants to keep their valuables hidden. Never keep your valuables in the bedroom, as this is the first place all thieves look; go for the kitchen, bathroom as well as the garage to stash your valuables. Apart from that, store your belongings in a safe, or hide them behind bookshelves or mislabeled books. Bold down your safe, so no matter how small or big it is, the thieves won’t be able to take it with them.
Mix and match these ideas to make your home secure and safe from burglars without spending an arm and leg on security.
If you’d like to talk more about property management, or you need help with Everest Property Management, please contact us at Everest Realty.
As a top producing Realtor and Property Manager; Terry specializes in sales, extensive construction homes, rentals, REO’s, short sales, and all aspects of Real Estate. After graduating the University of Michigan with a master in MBA, Terry continued his endeavor and now has over 15+ years of experience in the Real Estate world. If there is anything that has to do with Real Estate and sales, you can always be sure of Terry to provide important, specialized knowledge.
