If you are a landlord, you want to make sure your property and your renters are safe and sound, naturally. Therefore, you should take the time and put in the effort to make improvements to the security on the property. There are plenty of things that you can do to help boost the security, and many of them are very cost effective.
One of the first things you should do whenever you have tenants leave and before new tenants come into the property is change out the locks on all of the doors. Even though you might trust your previous tenants, there is no telling who has the key. By installing new locks, you can provide yourself and your new tenants with some peace of mind. In addition to the locks on the doors, you will want to make sure the locks on the windows, the garage, and other areas of the house are in proper working order.
If you have sliding glass doors to the backyard, as so many homes do, be aware that the locks that come with most of these doors are easily broken. You will want to provide a metal bar for the tenants, which can be laid into the tracks of the door when it is closed. This way, the door will not simply open. A burglar would have to break the window, which would cause a lot of noise and cause a potential injury. This is not something most burglars are willing to do, since they do not want to get caught.
Check your doors to make sure that all of the hinges are on the inside. Strange as it might sound, some homes have doors with exterior hinges. A burglar wouldn’t have to break through a door if they could simply use an electric screwdriver to remove the hinges and the entire door!
Even though you might not be living in the home yourself, that’s not to say you couldn’t set up a security system for the property. You can contact various home security companies and speak with them about the plans and services they offer. Let them know you are a landlord and that you want to provide a system for your renters to utilize, and ask them about their options. In addition, if you have a security system for your current home – as you should – you might want to see if there is a discount to getting a second system for the other property.
While this does add some more costs to the property, it does not mean you have to eat those costs. You can always charge a bit more for the rent, but let the renters know that they are going to be getting a quality security system for the property. You will find that most renters are going to be thrilled with this idea, as it helps to keep them and their property safe.
Make sure there are decals or yard signs that let people know there is a security system in place, as well. Just knowing that there is an alarm system is enough to deter many burglars, because they do not want the hassle of dealing with an alarm.
In addition to an alarm system, you need to make sure that there are fire and carbon monoxide monitors in the home, as well. These monitors will alert the residents if there is a fire or if there are dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in the home, so they can get out and contact the authorities. In addition to having these alarms, you should make sure that you check on them at least once or twice a year to make sure they are working properly.
In addition, if you have a basement in the home, you might want to consider getting a floor monitor. This can alert the residents and you if there happens to be a flood in the basement from a burst pipe or hot water heater, for example. The sooner you know, the sooner you can take action and reduce the damage done.
You want to have plenty of exterior lighting around the home to keep burglars at bay. Having motion detection lighting is a good option. When someone gets within a certain range of the home, the lights will come on and they will not have anywhere to hide. This type of lighting is effective, and it tends to be quite cheap to have installed. There should not be areas of the yard that are dark.
In addition, make sure the exterior lighting around the door is always working properly. Again, you can have motion sensors that will light up when someone comes up to the door.
One of the benefits of having the motion lighting is that the tenants will not feel as though they have to keep the lights on all the time. This will help to lower their electric bills, which they will appreciate. If you happen to be paying for the utilities on the property, then you will appreciate the savings.
The landscaping around the yard, if not trimmed, could provide a hiding place for burglars and home invaders. Not only do you need to keep the landscaping trimmed for the curb appeal of the home, but also for the safety of the people who happen to live there. Having shrubs and bushes can be nice, but not at the expense of security.
Take some time to walk around the exterior of the home before the new tenants arrive and look at the property from the perspective of a burglar. Note any areas of weakness in the security, and then make sure you take care of them.
The security of the home you are renting out is important not only for the safety of your property, but also for the safety of the tenants and their belongings. They will truly appreciate the extra effort that you go through to help make sure they are safe. Peace of mind is a very important thing.
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