November and December are the busiest travel months of the year and the prime time for burglars to target their next victims.
While most tenants are cautious about locking up before traveling, it couldn’t hurt to pass along these tips as a reminder. Ultimately, this is YOUR property that you need to keep safe and residents should take some responsibility for keeping their own possessions safe.
1. Close and lock all windows and doors. Take special care to check windows that are not facing the street because these prime points of entry are hidden from view. Also lock the door from the house leading to the garage since garage doors are considered a weak point of entry.
2. Use timers to turn lights on and off. Thieves choose the easiest targets, which are those homes that are completely dark. If possible, set the timers to turn on/off at varying times of day so no firm pattern is detected by the thieves.
3. Stop your newspaper and mail delivery. Piles of papers and/or mail is a dead giveaway that no one is home.
4. Notify your landlord, building superintendent, or neighbor of your travel dates so they can keep an extra watch for suspicious activity.
5. Unplug all small appliances (irons, coffee makers, toaster ovens, curling irons) to prevent a fire from starting.
Some property owners and landlords hire security guards to patrol during the peak holiday season, which is just another step to keeping the property but also the residents safe.
Add these holiday safety tips to your next newsletter, a reminder email to your tenants, or even as a checklist in your rental welcome packet. It’s much easier for your tenant to go down a printed checklist than it is to hope they remember to do everything while they’re packing and trying to leave for their trip.
Great aricle Treavor. Every landlord should put this information out to their tenants as a reminder to take extra care over the holidays to keep the property and their belongings safe.