How to Prevent Crime Around Rental Properties

Securing the Building and Grounds

Meet or exceed state and local housing safety standards. Check the guidelines for building security such as window locks and deadbolts and make sure your units are up to code. You typically can find a copy of the local housing regulations at your city housing office. They also may be available in the local library or on your city's website. Typical requirements include peepholes and deadbolt locks. Some cities also may require locks on windows or bars on sliding glass doors.

Provide adequate indoor and outdoor lighting. Well-lit parking lots and common areas can deter would-be criminals and make residents feel safer. If lights go out, replace the bulbs as soon as possible. If you have maintenance employees, have one of them patrol at night once a week to check the lights – don't wait until a tenant complains. Keep in mind that thefts and many other crimes are crimes of opportunity. A criminal is less likely to see an opportunity in a clean, well-lit parking lot.

Keep tall bushes and hedges trimmed. Plants along walkways and beside buildings can provide cover for people committing crimes. Keeping hedges trimmed so that they don't conceal windows or doorways is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to prevent crime. If you've hired a landscaping company, talk to the head landscaper and make sure he or she is aware of the security concerns with any plants or bushes located near doors or windows on the property.

Consider hiring security guards. An active security presence may deter criminal activity and loitering around your rental properties. Having someone patrol at night, if nothing else, can help prevent crime and make residents feel more secure. Any law enforcement officers who rent from you may be willing to patrol the grounds occasionally, or even park their patrol cars in a highly visible area, in exchange for a reduction in rent. You also might consider talking to your tenants about starting a community watch program in the neighborhood. Particularly if you have a large apartment complex, vigilant tenants can be your first line of defense against crime in and around your property.

Evaluate additional security measures. If your rental properties are located in a particularly dangerous neighborhood, you might want to take other precautions to secure the premises. Typically you will be held responsible for crime if it was foreseeable and you took no steps to prevent it. Therefore, if your rental property is located in a high-crime area, you may legally be expected to do more than a landlord whose property is in a wealthy suburb. You might consider bars on windows, or installing alarm systems in all your units. Usually you will be able to pass the costs of these measures on to your tenants, and most will be willing to pay a little extra in exchange for the peace of mind that added security brings.

Inspecting Property for Security Issues

Walk the property regularly. Not only does walking give you the chance to interact with tenants, but you can spot security issues more clearly on foot. If you see any problems or room for improvement, remedy the situation as soon as possible. Notify tenants of any activities that threaten security on the property. For example, if you notice tenants are using a rock to prop open a hallway door that normally is closed and locked, that could allow an unauthorized person to enter the building.

Ask tenants for recommendations. Residents who live in your units and come in and out every day probably have strong ideas about how to improve security. Take input from tenants seriously. If they feel safe, and know you care about their safety, they may take more responsibility for their unit and its surroundings. Encourage your tenants to do their part as well to prevent crime, for example by securing their belongings, keeping doors and windows locked, and promptly reporting any suspicious activity.

Get advice from your local police department. Many local police departments will send an officer to evaluate the security of your property free of charge at your request. Some precincts also offer training courses or informational sessions on landlord-tenant issues and preventing crime around rental properties. Contact your police department or look on your city's website to find out what resources are available in your area.

Taking Preventative Measures

Respond to security complaints quickly. If a tenant notifies you of a problem that has security implications, don't delay to address the issue. Keep in mind that you may be liable for crime that occurs as a result of something you failed to fix within a reasonable amount of time. For example, if a tenant's unit is burglarized by a thief who entered a door with a broken lock, you may be on the hook for the tenant's losses if the tenant notified you of the broken lock weeks before the robbery and you failed to act. You also should inform your tenants of their responsibility to notify you immediately if there are any damages to the property that represent a threat to security.

Train managers and employees on security issues. Anyone who works in or around your rental property on a regular basis should know how to identify security breaches and how to maintain the utmost privacy and security around your rental property. When you're getting a vacant unit ready for new tenants, double-check the locks and windows. Make sure the locks all are functional and can be operated without difficulty, and that any window locks aren't stuck or painted over. Maintain strict protocols on keys to units, and only allow you and your manager access to the master key, if you have one at all. Keep track of keys you give to tenants, and rekey the locks each time a tenant moves out.

Require tenants to purchase renter's insurance. Although you probably maintain liability insurance, renter's insurance will cover your tenants' belongings in the event of a burglary or other crime. Renter's insurance is fairly easy to find and in most cases isn't very expensive. Most renters can buy a policy that covers all of their property for between $20 and $30 a month. Residents who have to pay a renter's insurance premium also may become more aware of their surroundings and the security of their unit.

Include a crime-free addendum to your lease. A crime-free addendum makes criminal activity a lease violation subject to immediate eviction. The crime-free addendum makes it clear that engaging in criminal activity in or around your property is prohibited. The addendum should cover activities conducted by guests of your tenants as well as the tenants themselves. In most states, you don't have to wait for a conviction to evict someone suspected of or arrested for criminal activity.