Living Cautiously

One of the most precious amenities you can provide your tenants is safety. First, review your property for potential threats caused by physical structures. For example,

• • Trim bushes and install outdoor lighting so that tenants returning home after dark can see if someone is lurking
  • Put your outside lights on timers or use photocells
  • Install window stops that allow your tenants to get fresh air without fear of intruders
  • Remove blind spots in common areas by installing mirrors that allow tenants to see around corners
  • Change locks when tenants change
  • Mark mailboxes with only the first initial and last name of all tenants

Your written policies, which are shared with all tenants, can also be helpful in enforcing safety practices. These may include:

• • Instructions on what to do in the case of a fire or a tornado
  • Instructions on where tenants may and may not have barbecue grills (Champaign requires that flammable materials must be     10 feet away from combustible construction)
  • A ban on propping open doors to common areas
  • A ban on wax candles and promotion of electric candles

Finally, you may want to provide your tenants with some personal safety tips in your Welcome Package. For example, keeping a Maglite Flashlight near your bed offers light in the event of a power failure as well as a handy weapon if needed. Keeping a charged telephone near the bed is also important.
Cooking spray and hair spray are good deterrents when sprayed in the eyes of an intruder. This is one time when you might want to encourage your residents to leave items on the counter.
Encourage your tenants to document their valuables, copy their credit card numbers and place that information in a safe place off site. Also, share with them how affordable tenant insurance can be.
Counsel your residents not to advertise when they will be gone for extended times. They should put their mail and newspapers on hold and refrain from chatting about their upcoming trip on social media networks.
Working together, you can help your tenants make their home comfortably safe. Everyone will sleep better.