Is your property a safe place to live?

Is your rental property a safe place to live?

How do you show a future tenant that your property is a safe place to live? Renters have unique perspectives since they live in close proximity to other tenants, as well as the high volume of foot traffic in a complex, means your apartment may have an increased risk of intrusion and burglary. This guide offers tips to consider when proactively dealing with the concerns of a future tenant:

Future Renters will Research Local Crime
Before they ask the question, “Is your property safe?” check local crime data in its vicinity and work with your security provider and local police to mitigate the current issues going on. Be honest and let them know what you are doing to respond to the issues at that time. Websites like CrimeReports.com can give you a good idea of the local crime history in almost any community.

Test Lighting
Thieves and intruders prefer to sneak around in poorly-lit or dark areas. Therefore, make sure the lighting in entrances, hallways, walkways, parking areas, elevators, stairways, mail areas, and laundry rooms have enough lighting. The fewer places an offender has to hide, the safer your residents will be.

Observe General Upkeep
Take pride in the upkeep of your property. Broken windows, cracked drywall, or water stains could show a lack of concern to your future resident. Check to see if the lawn and landscaping are well-kept. If you are not taking care of basic maintenance, it could look like you’re not taking security seriously too.

Check Apartment Entrances
When branding your complex as a safe place to rent, consider the entry points to the property. Does a visitor need a key, pass code, or buzz-in to access the vehicle or pedestrian gates? This way, residents control who can approach their apartment, reducing loitering, break-ins, and solicitors.

Try the Peephole
A peephole can keep your tenants safe by allowing them to see who’s at their door before they open it. When someone is at the door, a peephole can help your tenants avoid a compromising situation.

Get New Door Locks
Replace the door locks for each new tenant and tell them that is your process. Don’t just rotate old locks between apartments; not all vacated tenants return their keys. Don’t risk the safety of your tenants because new locks or hardware were not provided.

Examine Window Locks
Good window locks keep intruders from gaining easy access to your units. This is especially true for windows on the ground level, but all windows should be properly checked — burglars can be determined. Treat all windows as potential entry points, and make sure all window locks are working properly and cannot be manipulated from the outside.

Making Your Property Safe For Your Tentants (PDF)