Basic Safety Tips for New Renters

When you move into your first rental, you may overlook the most important safety tips that there are when it comes to your apartment or house. If you have never lived on your own, you may not know of the things that need attention to ensure the safety of you and your family. Read on to have a quick refresher on the basic safety tips for living on your own and staying safe.

Secure the Access Points

Make sure that you are aware of all the entry points that there are in your home and that they can be secured. Keep windows locked, because this is an easy way for intruders to slip inside. Make it a habit of checking the door before you leave the house and before going to bed for the night. In the summertime it is especially important, for those that are in and out of the house on warm days, you just end up leaving the door unlocked, and then when you come in for the evening, you may forget to lock it. It doesn’t hurt to double check for you and your family’s safety and your belongings, as well.

If you don’t have a deadbolt, you may be able to ask your property manager if one could be installed for your home, but there may be additional charges for this. Garage doors should also be made sure that they are secured as well, so that intruders can’t just pull up the door and gain entry when you aren’t home.

Get Tech Savvy

If your lease allows which most do now these days, I highly recommend researching and investing in a doorbell camera or some sort of security for outside your home. Most of these cameras run directly off Wi-Fi and allow for instant streaming onto your phone. This allows for peace of mind when you are away from the house for any amount of time.

These cameras are typically very easy to install and set up and usually cost only a few dollars a month to store your camera’s activity on a cloud system. With the convenience of rechargeable batteries, you can even forget the hassle of batteries. Along with providing yourself with peace of mind, having visible cameras will help deter potential intruders from even thinking about stopping at your home.

Check your Detectors

Every apartment or home should come supplied with a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector, most often, these are combo devices. These devices are vital in ensuring that you are alerted when and if a fire or carbon monoxide leak happens. You should change your batteries each year to be sure that you always have a fresh set, but you can also test it periodically as well to be sure it is properly functioning.

Preventing Household Hazards

There is an old saying that goes, “Just because it can be done, does not mean it should be done”. Case and point, just because you can plug a lot of things into extension cords, does not make it safe. If you overload your outlets by plugging in too many things at one and using very old extension cords, this could certainly cause a fire! Be sure to plug in higher voltage items such as heaters and air conditioning units directly into the outlet instead of extension cords.

Using surge protectors is a better way to go when you are dealing with electronics, as well. If there is a storm and there is an electrical surge, having a surge protector will stop your electronics from being damaged.

Be sure to keep flammable items away from heated areas to prevent any unexpected fires and to never leave items such as candles, heated hair tools, portable heaters and small appliances such as air fryers, crockpots, etc. on while you are not in the house. Emergencies can happen in the blink of an eye but can be easily prevented.

Create an Emergency Plan

You may think that you have a plan or idea of your process for when an emergency such as a fire, tornado or flood happens, but when you are in that moment of panic, your plans may not be as clear as you remembered them. It would be helpful to have an emergency pack equipped with candles, flashlights, non-perishable food, rechargeable batteries and back up charger for your phones and other electronics. You will also want to plan for your pets if you have them to be able to quickly execute a plan to grab them, your and their important items and get out of the house in a fast amount of time. You do not want to wait until an emergency happens to formulate this plan. This is especially important if you have more than one floor or if you live on a multi-level complex.

Become Familiar with your Neighbors

It can be helpful to build a community relationship with the tenants that live around you. One because it builds a stronger community within the area, but also, neighbors can be there to look out for you if something is happening and you aren’t aware of it. If you trust your neighbors, you can give them you contact information if anything were to happen for them to be able to reach out to you.

Keep it Lit Up

A well-lit home can deter a lot of people from wanting to mess around with your property. If a criminal or trespasser can tell that they will be visible if they are trying to mess around with a property, they will likely pass up that opportunity to break in or steal anything for fear of getting caught. You can get motion detecting lights or even spotlights that stay on to safeguard your vehicle and home while you are away or sleeping.

Report Suspicious Activity and People

After you have lived in your property for a little while, it is easier to pick up on when a person or vehicle is suspicious and doesn’t seem to quite belong in the neighborhood. Always be mindful of people that you don’t know that knock on your door, especially if it is after hours. A doorbell camera comes in handy because you don’t even have to open your door, you can speak right through the camera. This may seem rude to some, but honestly you can never be too careful when you don’t know someone.

These are just a few of the safety measures that you can take to keep your home and family safe. It’s important to remember that planning will do wonders when it comes to ensuring your safety and preparedness to handle any disaster that could potentially come your way.