43 million housing units in the United States were occupied by renters in 2019, and in such properties home security is taken very seriously. That is why landlords must ensure that adequate security systems are implemented in all the properties they rent out. This is even more imperative considering that the United States reported 1,117,696 burglaries in 2019 alone.
Note that we are talking about reported cases only, as many more do not even report these events. Statista went further to note that 6,925,677 property crimes took place in the United States in the same year, making it the most prevalent among all types of crimes in the country.
What’s even more alarming is that burglary incidents take place every 18 seconds in the country, and at the end of every year, the total worth of property lost to burglary amounts to over $4 billion. Putting things into perspective — for every burglary incident, $2,250 is lost in property.
This is a major loss for most of the victims, and the responsibility of ensuring the security of rental properties is still in the landlord’s hands.
How does one go about the security of their rental property? Here are 5 genius ways you can burglar-proof your rentals.
Secure Locks and Keys
The most basic and essential way to secure your property is by making sure the entry and exit doors from the property, as well as from the apartments of the tenants, are secured properly. This step begins as early as during the construction phase.
Make use of doors and windows constructed using solid and heavy-duty materials, be it wood or steel. Avoid designing doors with glasses that can easily be broken by the burglars. You are also advised to add deadbolt locks, especially the ANSI Grade 1 or Grade 2 types, to the standard locks in all the entrances and exit doors.
If possible, add chain-locks too, especially on the doors to the tenants’ apartments, to give them extra protection even when they have cracked the doors open.
Add peepholes to the doors to help tenants see the person outside before opening the door. An intercom system will also go a long way, as it can help the tenants communicate with the person at the door without having to open it.
If your house was not designed like this from the start, you can still change the locks now. Install tamper proof versions to reinforce the windows and doors. It is also advisable to change all the keys and locks once the tenant leaves. Replace them with new ones for new tenants.
However, you must understand that it does not end with doors. Your windows are also very important, irrespective of the floor in question. Make sure the windows have locks and that they are all working. If you stay in a burglary-prone area, adding extra protective bars on the windows won’t be bad. Though some tenants won’t like this, it could be made appealing and aesthetic enough for them to appreciate it.
Sliding doors and windows are the next weak points you must focus on. Extra protection is advised since they can be lifted off their tracks. A door or window sensor, alerting the tenants when the door or window is forced open, will also be a great way to secure your property.
According to Ruban Selvanayagam of UK-based homebuying company: “in England and Wales, buy-to-let (rental real estate) mortgage lenders look at how secure a property is as part of their home valuation process. For this reason, observing the above is often a fundamental part of securing finance.”
Invest in Proper Lighting
Another seemingly easy, but essential way to secure your rental property is the light setup you have. It’s simple: all hallways and stairways must be brightly lit, and the lights must be on all the time. Outside, make sure the front and back of the property is brightly lit too.
You can make the lights motion-activated, so that they turn on or become brighter when they sense a motion. The porch, the yard and the driveway must all be properly lit. This informs your tenants when they have company, and pushes them to act accordingly and stay alert. An added element of being afraid to be seen will surely keep burglars away.
Be More Mindful of the People You Rent Out to
Most times the tenants themselves are the burglars, or they take some part in the act. Not to say all of them are bad — but if you’re someone that likes to invest back in your property, you may want to take a more serious approach to your selection process as well.
Take your time to perform background checks on each tenant before you rent the property out. If you find anything fishy about their security record, do not rent your property to them. When you’re sure you picked “the right ones”, it’ll do you well to post emergency security numbers on their doors too, so they can easily make contact when they sense danger. Most of them won’t care to get these numbers on their own. In most cases where property or tenants are endangered, the responsibility is on you.
Use Smart Home Systems
You can install smart home devices on your rental property for further security. There are affordable ones in the market that you can go for. They include Bluetooth-enabled deadbolts, alarm-enabled heavy-duty padlocks, fake TV stimulators and motion sensors, wireless cameras, and embedded microphones.
You may also go for keyless smart locks or the peel-and-stick alarm for doors and windows. Just search for the affordable and effective ones (especially if you’re running multiple rental sites), and secure your property with them.
Employ Live Agents
The use of live agents is the highest level of security you can give your rental property. Their presence alone will deter criminals from coming anywhere near.
Security with live agents provides real-time video monitoring. Live agent services, such as Deep Sentinel, provide AI with wireless security cameras to enable live guards to intervene within seconds of a perimeter breach. This ensures that any suspicious activity is identified within seconds and crime can be stopped before a potential burglar even starts to enter the property.
