How Property Managers Keep Rental Buildings Safe
Unfortunately, theft has risen during the pandemic. People have lost their jobs and are desperate to make money in any way they can. There are ways for landlords to keep their rental properties safe. Video surveillance is not used as effectively as it should be. It is common for landlords to have broken video cameras at their rental properties. What can a broken surveillance system do for you? Nothing! An additional expense, such as updating your video surveillance system will actually help you save money in the future. 77% percent of crimes in America are property crimes. With a high concentration of people in one rental property, this could be a prime target area for a thief.
Exterior property inspections focusing on locks and entries, will help pin point how thieves can get in. Check every entry way to see if the locks need to be updated, due to a broken latch or just normal wear and tear. Rental properties suffer the most from normal wear and tear, which is why checking on these types of repairs is important to maintain a safe place for your renters to live in.
1.7 million packages are stolen or lost every single day in the US. If this shocks you, then take a second to go on YouTube and look at all the videos of people stealing packages, because it is more common than you think. So how do you help your renters, at your rental properties, keep their incoming packages safe? Advise renters to not leave packages in common areas overnight, since this is the leading cause for theft of packages. Advise tenants to monitor when a package has been delivered and to pick it up as soon as possible. Speak to delivery companies about delivering to a locker offsite or install one onsite that only they can access.
How do you prevent burglary from vehicles on your rental property? This is an issue that every landlord, property management company, and renter has dealt with. There is no real answer on how to completely eliminate this forever, but there are somethings that can help prevent it from occurring more often. Have a sign and discussion upon lease agreement, that they are to not under any circumstances leave anything valuable in their car. Landlords are not liable for items stolen out of the car, but can help identify the thief if there is surveillance video.
Reporting suspicious activity, is critical to developing a record of criminal activity. Rental properties need advanced records to develop action plans that ensure the safety of their residents. Encourage your residents to report theft to the police as well as you, the landlord. Residents need to feel like these situations have been addressed and noted. The landlord, benefits from this type of information because it will help identify preventative maintenance measures regarding security at their rental property.
Lastly, something that most landlords do not think of, are the laundry rooms. There has been an alarming amount of crimes committed in laundry facilities at rental properties, due to most of them being open at all times. Having set times for use during the day for the laundry facility, is a preventative measure that you can take. Also ensure that everyone must use a key in order to access the laundry facility.
Belwood Properties understands how burglary prevention can be overwhelming, which is why we are offering free assistance and council to any landlord in need. Call us today and see how we can help you kick start your preventative tasks at your rental property. (818) 883-3033 or info@belwoodprop.com
