Tips to Keep Your Home (and Investment) Safe

As a landlord, you need to prioritize safety for your tenants. You want to do everything necessary to prevent burglars and break-ins. For instance, you may want to invest in more security features.

If there's a break-in, it's a long process - you’d need to report the situation, file a report and get in touch with the insurance firm. Not to mention, you would need to convince your tenant not to move out after the traumatic incident.

So, it's best to focus on keeping your rental property safe from theft to prevent the negative impact left by burglars.

In this post, we are listing some recommendations to follow to keep your rental and investment safe.

1. Secure the locks of your main entry points.

Check if your main entrance doors have solid locks. Set deadbolts and double down on locks for additional protection. Installing multiple locks can make it tough for burglars to easily enter your unit.

Are your doors and windows made up of durable and strong material? Invest in solid wood and metal doors to make it difficult for trespassers to break them down.

When a renter has moved out, don’t forget to rekey the locks. Evicted tenants can sometimes still want to occupy the rental they’re forced to vacate. Limit access and keep your rental space secure, especially during vacancies.

2. Schedule for regular maintenance of the property.

To keep your rental in an outstanding condition, you need to perform routine property maintenance, inspections and arrange for any repairs.

You can engage the services of trusted vendors or hire a property manager. The latter is a great option since property management companies often have a reliable vendor network, so you won’t have to search for one on your own.

A well-maintained unit attracts new and old renters creating solid rental income returns.

3. Get insurance.

Keep your property protected by having insurance. It safeguards you from major risks such as natural disasters, fires, and even burglary.

Study the insurance coverage before choosing one. Pick a policy where all aspects of property damage and destruction are considered. Don’t forget to read the fine print so you can always make a legitimate claim when the time comes.

4. Strive to cultivate good relationships with neighbors.

Another helpful way to build more protection around your rental is being on good terms with the neighbors. They can help watch over your unit and report anything out of the ordinary. On top of that, when property emergencies occur, they can be the first helping hand you can find.

5. Set up a checklist.

A better way to ensure you’re not forgetting any vital tasks is to prepare a ready checklist. This way you can monitor which tasks you’ve completed. You can check off paying bills, contacting a repair technician, and hiring professional cleaners.

6. Install proper external lighting.

Invest in motion sensor lighting since this can discourage intruders. If your rental space has plenty of outdoor lighting, then it can be hard for trespassers and burglars to hide.

Focus on installing lights at main entryways of your unit. Shine bright lights on dim areas that make good hiding spots. Place exterior lights on garage and garden sheds.

7. Advertise the security measures installed in your home.

Keeping trespassers away means placing general warning signs around your property. Inform outsiders that you have a security system in place. Announce the presence of security cameras, but refrain from making the signs too specific.

You don’t have to include the model and manufacturer information. Otherwise, the smart burglars can find a way to access the system or hack it to disable operation.

8. Document your furnishings.

When you have a list of all items in your rental unit, it can be easy to learn which were taken by the robbers in case of theft. This helps in reporting the loss during property break-ins. You can easily trace which items are stolen and file a claim on your insurance quicker.

List all the details of each appliance, furnishing and valuable, including its manufacturer, model name, serial number and color. Keeping photos is also a good tip for better recording.

9. Get rid of potential hiding spots.

Since burglars tend to hide behind large objects, limit these decors as much as you can. Avoid cluttering your outdoor space with decorative pieces that can become a perfect hiding spot. Also, remove overgrown foliage and trim the weeds.

10. Hire a property management company.

You may want to let a professional property manager handle the business operation of your rental property. With more local expertise and skills in marketing, rent collection, tenant screening and property maintenance, you end up with excellent results and fewer costly mistakes.

You also reduce your stress since a good property manager deals with the common complaints of renters and issues surrounding the rental property. If you’re a long-distance landlord, you can also rely on a professional taking care of your rental space.