Keeping Your Tenants Safe: The Student Perspective
A big thing that will be on your tenants’ minds when they move in is how safe your place is.
They want to feel safe coming home late from class, without having to worry about walking home if they have to or someone breaking into their place while they are away.
Here are a few ways that you can help give your tenants some peace of mind when it comes to safety.
Deadbolt on the door
Just by adding one extra lock, you’ll make the front door a safer place. Robberies happen all the time, and if your tenant is worried that the front door isn’t stable, they might not be able to sleep so well at night. Adding a dead bolt will help them feel more secure and provide less of a chance for someone to come in when they least expect it.
This is also great because it can’t be opened with a key from the outside, so if they happen to lose their key, they won’t have to worry about the chance of a stranger finding the key and using it, because they won’t be able to get the door open all the way.
Alarm system
Installing an alarm system is another great way to ensure the safety of your tenants and their belongings. A lot of landlords simply install the alarm system, and then let the tenants chose whether they wish to pay for the services or not.
This way, you have your bases covered, but the tenants have the last say on how their money is spent, so if they don’t want the system (but why wouldn’t they?) then they don’t necessarily have to use it. But simply having the “protected by (insert the provider here)” sign outside of the house might be enough to scare off potential robbers.
Have lights at all entrances to the house
Motion detector lights would be ideal so the tenants can know when someone is outside, but lights in general at all major entrances are a must. This way, they can leave it on if they will be returning after dark, and can make it look like they are home even when they are away to keep robbers at bay.
Encourage/require renters insurance
Inform your tenants about renters insurance and encourage them to get it. In the off chance that they do get robbed, they will really appreciate having it. Especially for breaks when they go home for longer periods of time and their stuff is just sitting in the house, renters insurance is a great thing to have and will help give them peace of mind.
It would be horrible to come home to a stolen laptop (the key to college life) and then have to deal with buying a new one or something like that. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Allow dogs
Dogs always make people feel safe, so allowing your tenants to have them would be another layer of security for them. Dogs are great alarm systems as well as anxiety relievers, so many students love to have them around.
If you are worried about the damage a dog can cause to your place, you can always ask for a pet deposit, so the tenants can have their pet and you can have insurance that they will take care to keep their pet out of trouble or they won’t be getting their pet deposit back. Everybody wins.
Security camera
If your tenant is really worried about safety, maybe investing in a security camera isn’t that bad of an idea. There will be proof if anything happens to the place or the tenant, and you could have them pay for the services. There are ones where they can even watch the camera feed on their TV, so if there is a suspicious person outside, they will be able to identify the person right away.
Neighborhood watch
If the neighborhood your place is in has a neighborhood watch, inform your tenants about it. Neighbors watching out for one another is a wonderful thing.
In my neighborhood, there was recently a “peeping Tom” that was taking pictures of women through their windows (creepy, right?). The neighbors started posting warnings all over our mailboxes and trash chute, so we were all aware of the situation. The man was finally caught thanks to one of the neighbors who snagged a picture of him.
Your tenants will feel safer knowing that they can count on you and the people that they are living by.
Showing that you are investing in the safety of your tenants will help them trust you and will help ensure that you will always have tenants to fill your space, since safety is a top priority for college students.
A little time and effort will go a long way and will help the tenants feel safe and secure in their temporary home, which can let them focus on school.