Property Security Advice for Landlords

Securing rental properties, particularly houses of multiple occupancy, can present challenges. Fortunately, if you’re a landlord, there are plenty of innovative ways you can enhance security on your rental properties.

And the more secure a house or flat is, the more appealing it will be to prospective tenants.

Smart home security systems

The latest smart home security systems provide a coordinated approach to protecting a property. The starting point can be door and window locks, but your smart hub can also link up your intruder alarms, cameras, lights and motion sensors.

Smart security systems are scalable, so you can add or take away elements, depending on the current circumstances of the property.

As a landlord, you can control all of these elements remotely from your PC, laptop or mobile device.

Smart door entry systems

Ideally, a landlord should change the locks of a property between tenancies. But this problem is removed with the installation of a keyless digital entry system.

No more worries about keys falling into the wrong hands. Instead, entry is managed by PIN or entry code. The beauty of this is that the landlord can retain control of who enters his property. A new number is issued to each new tenant.

With a smart system, the landlord can monitor who comes and goes at different times of the day and night. You can chance access permissions at any time, and the system can handle multiple tenants in one building.

Communal area sensor lighting

By fitting sensor lights at entry points and in communal areas, you will make your tenants feel safer. This is particularly relevant if you manage a block of flats, as tenants will be able to see through a spyhole who is outside in the corridor.

External sensor lights can be fitted to the front and rear of a property and set so that the lights come on if there’s any movement. This not only acts as a deterrent to intruders, it will make tenants feel more secure when returning home at night.

You can position sensor lights in any dark areas around the property where an intruder may be able to hide. As many lights as required can be linked to your central smart security hub.

Smart intruder alarms

Security alarms should be visible on the outside of your property to deter intruders. They will reassure tenants, especially if they’re linked to a monitoring service.

Some landlords will be happy to monitor alarms themselves. However, many smart security systems now offer services that alert local authorities or a professional security company to a potential break-in.

Monitored cameras

Cameras are not appropriate for many rental properties. But they can be useful when trying to keep larger properties or houses of multiple occupancy secure when tenants and visitors are frequently going in and out.

You can give your tenants access to the cameras so they can be aware of who is outside their front door.

Again, you can choose to monitor the cameras yourself, or take out a subscription to a professional security company who will monitor them for you.