January is the worst month of the year in NZ for burglaries, so whether you’re a landlord or a tenant you’ll want to protect your assets.
According to NZ Police statistics at least as many unlawful entries with intent/burglary happen in Wellington during the early afternoon of a Thursday or Friday, as they do in the wee small hours! Here’s some tips to protect your rental from burglars:
As Tenants:
1. When going out, close and lock all windows as well as your doors. We all like to come home to a house smelling fresh, especially in the heat of summer, but it’s a very quick and easy way for burglars to get in unnoticed. It also impacts your contents insurance!
2. Be aware of what is visible through your windows – keep valuables out of sight wherever possible since this is a definite lure to any potential burglars.
3. Be a friendly neighbour – neighbours vary of course, but a trustworthy neighbour is a great line of defence in keeping an eye out if you tell them you’re going away for any length of time such as a holiday, and they could regularly clear your mailbox. If you build a good rapport with them they may also be the first one to ring you, ring the police, or to note a car registration, if they notice something out of the ordinary at your property.
4. Sign up to neighbourly.com and/or become a member of a local neighbourhood watch group – you can discover lots of invaluable local community information. I've personally experienced this with Neighbourly when we had a series of break-ins and thefts in our own quiet streets. Very helpful details including those of the thief's car circulated and the police then involved….
5. Don’t hide spare keys outside - yes it’s really helpful to have access to that key in an emergency, but many burglars are experts at finding what you may think is cleverly hidden! Leave a spare key with a trusted neighbour, or with a family member or friend. One advantage of having a rental is that your landlord or property manager will always have another key.
6. Buy a timer or two from somewhere like Mitre 10 and attach these to your interior lamps. Programme the lights to turn on while you’re out in the evening, or early morning (especially in winter).
7. Use a wooden rod in the floor track of your sliding doors if there are no additional top or bottom locks. This is a clever trick my dad always used successfully in our home. Even if someone can break the door lock they won’t be able to slide the door open because the wood prevents it moving.
8. Keep a record of the serial numbers of electronic items. The NZ Police recommend you register these on www.snap.org.nz. You can also write your name & phone number on valuable items using a UV (ultraviolet) marker - fluorescent and transparent, the marks can only be seen under ultraviolet light and are excellent for identifying your belongings if later found by police.
9. Mow your lawns just before you go on holiday so it looks like people are present, or better still arrange for someone to mow them while you’re away so activity is seen on the property.
As Landlords
As a landlord you want to be careful how much you spend on a rental property to ensure it’s sufficiently profitable, but it’s also in your interests to invest wisely in the protection of such a major asset.
1. Invest in solid front and back doors without glass. If you have glass sliding doors ensure there are good locks top and bottom and encourage tenants to use these.
2. Get single or double deadlocks installed in both front and back doors. These types of locks require a key to open and close them and provide a much higher level of security against intruders than standard locks.
3. Be quick to repair cracked glass in windows or doors. This is an easy and appealing method of entry for a burglar.
4. Consider having exterior sensor lights installed, especially near the front and back doors. Thieves and vandals don’t want to be discovered, so anything that exposes them to the sight of neighbours or anyone passing the property at night will be a good deterrent.
5. Ensure trees and shrubs are kept trimmed. A scruffy section is a red flag to a thieving opportunist. Vegetation, especially close to the house, provides good hiding places and protection tor burglars.
No Safety, Know Pain.
All the best out there! Protect your rental from burglars. And if you need checks done on your rental, consider a Property Manager like Dominion Property Management – we love to help.