Is your rental property in between tenants? Going on vacation soon? A significant yet often overlooked part of Troy property management is safeguarding your rental property when you’re away. Simply locking the doors in order to keep your rental house secure during your absence is not enough. Failing to prepare your home before your trip exposes you to plenty of problems. The FBI estimates that there at least 2.5+ million home break-ins per year. This means that a home burglary occurs each 13 seconds. With that, here are some Troy property management tips to guide you in maintaining the safety of your rental property while you’re not around.
- Unplug the garage door opener – Some people don’t know that thieves use universal garage door remotes to open the door and enter the property. Don’t let this happen by unplugging the garage door before you leave. With that, it will be difficult for them to intrude your home.
- Unplug smart devices – Upon leaving, switch off and unplug all your smart appliances and anything that is not plugged into a surge protector. Burglars now use smart appliances as a means of hacking your network. They work with these devices to gather information or even open a door. Unplugging smart devices is also cost effective because some TVs and charging units continue to draw power when plugged in even though turned off.
- Obtain a security system – This offers advantages such as insurance benefits and peace of mind. Apart from these advantages, security systems also come at an affordable price these days. This means you can stay in the know while you’re out and about, at a low expense.
- Don’t leave a spare key outside – Leaving a spare key in obvious hiding places such as under the welcome mat, in a light fixture, or taped to the window should not be done. Don’t allow anyone to have easy access to your property.
- Hold mail during your vacation –Your rental may receive junk mail even if no one is around. Unchecked mail may create a pile in your mailbox. This may alert burglars that nobody is at home. However, the USPS solves this by allowing mail holds online.
- Social media tips – We normally don’t associate social media with Troy property management. But nowadays, crooks get an update through social media if a landlord is out on a vacation. As a landlord, there’s no need to publicize your travels to the world. When you want to share your trip with your friends, keep your social media accounts private. Using strong social media privacy settings sees to it that only your close friends and family know about your adventures.
- Time the lighting – Indoor light timers are inexpensive and give the impression that you’re at home even though you’re not. A timing unit turns the lights on for people outside to see. This then makes it look like someone is in the house, particularly if some lights go on and off differently.
- Seek help – Prior to your trip, ask one of your rental home’s neighbors to put your trash bins out. You can also instruct them to just visit the property when you’re out. This makes it appear that somebody is inside. The more it looks that someone is around your vacant rental property, the lower chance of thieves considering doing any damage.
The above tips can keep your property secure while you enjoy your holiday away.
Would you like to learn more about our Troy Property Management services? Contact us now for more details.