Have Your Property Manager Identify Any Potential Security Risks In And Around Your Building
Posted on: 27 January 2017
When you have a real estate investment that you've hired a residential property manager to oversee, you need to ensure that this professional's duties include maintaining a safe environment for your residents. While a larger real estate investment can frequently warrant on-site security personnel, this may not be practical or necessary if you own a smaller investment — for example, you have a six-unit condo building. Still, your property manager should keep safety and security in the forefront of his or her mind by taking the following important steps.
Conduct Routine Patrols
Your property manager doesn't have to act like a security guard, but he or she should get in the habit of taking a patrol-style walk around the building on occasion. This patrol can reveal issues that the property manager you might not have been previously aware. For example, the patrol could reveal graffiti on a wall behind the building. This sign of vandalism can suggest that people may be loitering in the area after dark, which could pose a threat to your tenants. The property manager can then take the necessary steps to move through this problem, which can include hiring a cleaning service to remove the graffiti and hiring a contractor to install lighting in the area in question.
Maintain An Open Line Of Communication With The Tenants
Your tenants should feel free to raise any security-related concerns with the property manager. The property manager can foster this dynamic by putting security surveys into residents' mailboxes. The surveys can ask the residents if they feel safe in their units, in the common areas, and when they're outside the building. The tenants can then leave their surveys for the property manager to collect during a subsequent visit or call the property manager directly to discuss any concerns, which can then be rectified.
Monitor The Security Cameras
It's a good idea to use security cameras inside and outside your rental property, and you can ask your property manager to monitor them. This doesn't mean sitting in front of a screen and watching their feed. Instead, the manager should periodically ensure that they're in proper working order. This can be accomplished through a visual inspection (to ensure that a camera hasn't been knocked askew by the wind, for example) and an occasional check of the feed that is being recorded. If there are any concerns, a property management service should address them promptly for the security of the tenants.
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