6 Tips for Monitoring Your Rental Properties
Managing a rental property can be quite challenging if you have several of them, or you live out of state. Although you might be able to take payments online and even schedule repairs remotely, it is still important to be able to keep an eye on your investment as well. Here you will find some tips that can help you monitor your rental property no matter where you are.
Have a Friend Watch It
If you have a friend, relative, et cetera that lives near your rental property, you can ask them to check on it from time to time. This is important, especially if the property is vacant, as you don’t want potential burglars to get any ideas. Seeing someone randomly stop by every now and then might be more than enough to deter any would be squatters, burglars, et cetera. Make sure whoever you get to go by your place is checking for damage, so you can address any issues before they become huge ones.
Hire a Property Manager
While this can be quite costly, it can be money well spent just to avoid the headache of having to manage a property if you live out of town. Your property manager can handle all of the maintenance, deal with tenants, notify you of issues and more. No longer do you have to travel back and forth or deal with tenant issues as they can simply direct all of their concerns to the manager.
Communicate With Tenants
If you do not have a property manager and your rental property is being occupied, the best way to monitor it is through a joint effort with your tenant. Having an open line of communication allows your tenants to alert you to any issues and vice versa. Should there be an emergency such as a leak or break-in, your tenants should have a way to get a hold of you. Make sure you are in frequent communication by sending general correspondence, so there can be a sense of rapport between you as well.
Install Cameras
Whether your property is vacant or not, having cameras installed around the premises is a great way to help you see what is going on although you are away. Nowadays, you can connect your camera to your smartphone, so you are alerted whenever there is movement on certain parts of the property.
Keyless Locks
Unlike a traditional lock, not only does keyless entry eliminate the threat of your keys being stolen or copied, but it also keeps a record of who comes and goes. With the use of fingerprints or codes, only people with pre approved access will be able to enter the premises.
Install a Smart Smoke Alarm Monitor
While you might have things in place to notify you of intruders, fire is a silent yet one of the most dangerous threats to your property. With a smart smoke detector, you will be alerted whenever the smoke alarm is triggered. These systems can also alert you if the carbon monoxide levels are high which is very important if your property is being occupied.
Whether you use a security company to monitor your property, a property manager, et cetera, it is important that you utilize more than one resource if you want the most protection. While having someone manage your property for you is great, it is still a good idea to have additional monitoring services that you can have access to as well. This way, you can check on your property as needed as well as be alerted should anything be amiss, and more.