Property owners face significant risks from vandalism of residential property, as vandals targeting roughly 15% of American homes yearly inflict expensive damage to a rental home. This damage contributes to the detriment of property values, making preventing vandalism a top priority for landlords and property owners. Vandals seek out soft targets, but with careful planning, you can deter them from seeing your rental as a target for vandals.
Simple Safety Measures for Rental Properties
- Adequate exterior lighting. Vandals are drawn to dark spaces, desiring to do their dirty work out of sight. Motion sensor lights are highly effective and energy-efficient options that tenants will appreciate.
- Secured fences with locked gates. To prevent vandalism at your rental property, install a secure locking gate with your fence. Vandals are normally eyeing easy targets, so having to climb over a fence or get through a locked gate will go a long way toward deterring them from the yard.
- Bushes or shrubs with rough bark, thorns, or pointy leaves. The added greenery will uplift your property’s aspect while presenting a painful challenge to any unwanted visitors attempting to get overly close to the home.
- Good quality window coverings. Vandalism is a crime of opportunity; they usually only strike if they think nobody is home. Having the windows overlaid with blinds or drapes will raise doubts about whether or not someone is home, especially if a light or two is left on at all times. It just might convince them to look for another target.
Conclusively, if vandals do strike, it’s important to clean up the mess as soon as possible. Rapidly painting over graffiti and addressing any further damage preserves your property’s look and can discourage a vandal from striking again, helping to prevent your rental home from further issues.
These strategies can safeguard your rental from vandalism and its costs. Real Property Management Instant Equity (Tampa) offers full-service property management, including properties in Riverview repairs and maintenance, for swift solutions. Contact us online or call 813-445-4619 today.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
