Written by: Emily Joswiak • October 28, 2022• Real Estate

How To Protect a Rental Property When It’s Vacant

If you don’t live close to your rental property or you’re leaving the area, a vacant house can be nerve-racking to keep safe, especially for extended periods. Luckily, you have options whether you’re going on vacation or living a few towns away. To help you keep your peace of mind, here’s how to protect your rental property while it’s vacant.

Create the Illusion of Occupancy and Activity

Two of the most significant risks of leaving a rental property vacant are theft and vandalism. If you’ve ever left the lights on when leaving the house, you know that creating the illusion of occupancy can help. You can put lights and entertainment systems on a timer, so they go off for set periods and then set motion or flood lights to go off at night. It’s also wise to leave curtains and blinds closed so unwanted eyes can’t see if the property is vacant.

Take Down Physical Marketing Signs

Unfortunately, rent signs can put a massive target on vacant rental properties as it lets everyone who passes knows that no one is home. In these cases, you may want to stick to marketing online. Alternatively, you can place advertisements in newspapers, professional spaces, or businesses. This way, it’s much less likely for a passerby to make a split decision to steal or vandalize your property.

Boost Your Property’s Security

Sometimes, the only way to make yourself feel better is to have eyes on the property; installing security cameras can help you do that. You don’t have to go all out and buy expensive security cameras. Nanny and pet cams are more affordable alternatives, making buying more than one and setting them up around the house much more manageable. Some property owners even include real and fake cameras to make the property look more secure without spending more money.

Additionally, anti-theft door stops, sliding door security bars, and window security bars can prevent petty thieves or squatters from breaking in. You can also post signs in the yard or stickers on the window with a fake security system logo to make it seem like the home has an alarm system.

Now that you know how to protect your rental property while it’s vacant, you can rest a little easier knowing that impulsive vandalism and theft are much less likely to occur. If you still feel your property is at risk, asking neighbors to keep an eye out or hiring a property manager may be the next step.

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