How to Avoid Vandalism and Protect Your Rental Property in Maize

Vandalism is a very common crime that property owners have to deal with. It’s a prevalent crime that hits Maize and its neighboring locations. In fact, roughly 15% of American homes are targeted by vandals each year. Vandalism, such as graffiti and smashed mailboxes, can cause expensive damage to a rental home; that much is obvious, but it also has an effect on the tenant’s sense of security and community spirit, not to mention the potential detriment of property values. To keep these things from happening, landlords and property owners should prioritize preventing vandalism.

One way that is known to be effective in preventing vandalism is to install and maintain exterior lighting that covers all the necessary areas. Vandals are attracted to dimly lit areas; they prefer to do their dirty work without being seen. Motion sensor lights are both energy-efficient and effective; tenants will really appreciate this alternative.

If your rental property has fences, you can also prevent vandalism by seeing to it that your fences have a secure gate that locks. Vandals usually go for easy targets, so having to go over a fence or break through a locked gate will go a long way to securing your property from these vandals.

As a natural deterrent, consider surrounding your property with bushes or shrubs with rough bark, thorns, or pointy leaves. The extra plants would help enhance the beauty of your property and at the same time serve as a challenge of thorns and pointy leaves to any unwanted visitors attempting to get to your home.

It may appear surprising, but another effective method to deter vandals is to install the appropriate kind of window coverings. Vandalism is a crime of opportunity; they usually attempt vandalism when they assume a house is empty. Windows that are covered with blinds or drapes will make them doubt whether or not a place is empty. You can bolster up this strategy by making sure a light or two is kept on at all times. It would show them the amount of risk and effort they’d have to put in, and they just might decide to look for a different, easier target.

Lastly, if vandals do strike, consider it an urgent responsibility to restore any defacement to your rental property. These sorts of ne’er-do-wells enjoy having their handiwork seen and fussed over. If your property house is trashed and is not restored swiftly, this may prove to embolden the offenders to create an even bigger, “better” mess. You can vigorously put vandals off by painting over graffiti, repairing broken glass, and swiftly fixing any ruin caused by their mischief.

By taking the advice written here, you can help keep your Maize rental homes from being the next target for vandals. At Real Property Management First Choice, you can avail of our full-service property management including monitoring your properties on a regular basis and arranging for repairs and maintenance in the event that something would go wrong. If you want more information on home safety, contact us online or call us at 479-242-0791 today.