10 Ways How to Rent a Safe Home
Published:
Our latest guest post is from John Lawless (coolest name ever) at BestHeating, and is aimed towards the property sector. As we all know the importance of safety for tenants is paramount for all landlords, but sometimes it’s easy to overlook the little things. And these make the biggest difference.
So here are Jonh’s top 10 tips for how your tenants can stay safe in their rented accommodation, along with some tips for what you can ensure is included in the property before letting…
10 tips on how to rent a safe home:
Having a place to call your own – whether you’re a buyer or a renter – is great!
You can do what you want when you want to, walk around naked (if that’s your kind of thing) and sing, dance and scream to your hearts content; just be careful not to anger the neighbours too much.
But do you know how to rent a safe home? Taking care of the place in which you and your family live should always be a top priority. Venturing out into the great unknown world of adult living can be a big step – and one that should not be taken lightly.
Inspired by my little brother, who at the grand old age of 30 has just got his own place, I thought I would share my top 10 tips for apartment living.
They should keep you and your property safe and also (maybe not in the case of my brother) help you to improve as a person – with these nifty tips you’ll be a veritable Fort Knox of safety before you can say – “Get out of my house you crazy person/thing!”
Get your notebook out, here are the top 10 answers on how to rent a safe home. . .
1 – BE AN OSCAR WINNING ACTOR (This is my favourite one)
Whenever you are leaving the apartment, turn around and shout goodbye to someone, even if they aren’t there. This will give the impression – to any would-be burglars – that you are not leaving the apartment unattended. It also gives you the opportunity to try out your very best acting skills; which is why I love it!
2 – MAKE A FIRE ACTION PLAN!
“Fail to prepare, then prepare to fail” as my old man used to say. Be sure that everyone who lives in your apartment (or even if they’re just visiting) know what to do in the event of a fire. The seconds you save when knowing what to do just might save your life.
3 – BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES
Secure sliding doors with a metal rod or a piece of plywood/dowel. Place the rod or dowel in the doors track and install vertical bolts too. This will stop any potential house-breakers from forcing the door open or lifting it off the rack. In your face burglars!
4 – INSTALL A CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) ALARM
Carbon monoxide kills 50 people a year in the UK alone. Install an alarm in any room with a gas, oil or wood burning appliance and protect yourself against this deadly silent killer. Make sure it has the CE or British standard mark EN 50291.
5 – MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL
Take a good look at all of your mirrors from OUTSIDE your apartment. Clever burglars might use them to see if your alarm has been set or not. Make sure that they can’t be seen from outside and always set your alarm anyway, after all, that’s what it’s there for!
6 – HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER
Short of employing your own personal firefighter, you are going to be the one that the job falls to if you have a fire in your home. It might seem obvious but not all rental properties come complete with a fire extinguisher. If yours doesn’t then go out and get one – now! It could be the difference between life and death.
7 – LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR
I don’t care if you’re a people person or not, knowing who your neighbours are is not only polite, but could help to save you in the long run. Often, if there is a fire or some such other kind of problem, it is going to be your neighbours who can let the emergency services know what is actually going on. So try and keep them onside. I’m not saying that they would just leave you to burn in the event of a fire, but why run the risk by not being nice?
8 – PEEK-A-BOO I SEE YOU
It can be really easy to disable chain locks, so to be safe, use peepholes to determine who might be knocking on your door. Don’t have a peephole? Then ask your unexpected visitor to put their business card under the door.
9 – DON’T TELL THEM YOU’RE NOT AT HOME
Be clever with your voicemail. If you live alone, say “We are not available right now…” instead of “I’m not home…” and certainly don’t invite thieves in by stating that “I’ll be away for the next…” – let common sense prevail and you’ll keep hold of most of your stuff!
10 – LOCK YOUR DOORS!
It might sound like something you would automatically do anyway, but you might leave your door unlocked to go downstairs and get your post – DON’T! If you suspect that someone has entered your home in your absence, as brave as you may feel, don’t enter! Call security, if you have it in your building, or get on the blower (phone) to the police.
Most apartment buildings are safe and secure, but it’s always wise to exercise caution and help to minimise the possibilities of becoming a victim. Follow these safety and security tips to experience outstanding apartment living and enjoy life. Unlike my little brother, you deserve it!
–
John Lawless is editor of The Best Heating Blog specialising in home heating and radiators.
Keep up with them on Twitter and Facebook.