by Lucy Cromwell
If you or the landlords you work with are concerned about property security, you’re not alone. There are around 250,000 burglaries in England and Wales every year, making this a key issue for property managers and housing associations. The good news is that there are an increasing number of ways to secure properties, and most of them are a breeze to implement.
Get to grips with how to strengthen property security in this guide and give the best advice to your clients.
Carry Out a Security Audit
Before advising on any changes, you need to get to grips with the current security at the properties. This is where a security audit comes in.
As the building manager, you might carry out the security audit yourself to assess vulnerabilities and strengths, using your findings to provide better guidance to landlords. In some cases, the landlord may want to do this independently.
If you conduct the audit, start by walking through each property to assess, in person, how secure it is. Look for obvious issues such as broken locks, unsecured windows, signs of degradation, and areas with poor lighting.
Check your security alarms and cameras (if you have them) and look at obvious areas of vulnerability, like ground-level windows that face onto public land. Document everything you find to pass on to the landlord.
By carrying out a thorough audit upfront, you set the foundation for a targeted, effective plan that protects both your client’s properties and the people living in them.
Reduce Visual Access
Most burglaries are premeditated. Criminals will scope out a location, finding entry points and mapping out interiors so that they’re prepared for an efficient home invasion. A key step to securing your client’s properties is reducing visual access.
This refers to any areas where potential criminals can see into the property - namely, the windows and doors.
If any of the properties have windows that face public land (such as high streets, roads, or footpaths), explore ways to increase privacy. You might advise that the landlord install frosted glass across these windows, though do bear in mind that this will be expensive if they have a large portfolio.
For another approach to security, curtains and blinds are a simple but effective solution. For daytime privacy, advise that the landlord install the properties with sheer curtains or made to measure blinds, allowing light to filter in while blocking views into the home.
Blinds can be fully closed at night to ensure full privacy, making them a versatile choice. When using sheer curtains, they should be layered with a secondary option (like shutters or thermal curtains) to completely block the view into the property at night.
Implement Secure Key Management
When it comes to security tips for property managers, you can’t ignore keys. Whether you’re showing properties to tenants or giving access to maintenance teams, you’re going to be juggling a lot of keys at the same time.
To avoid any sets falling into the wrong hands, it’s vital you have a key management system in place.
A simple but effective option is to use a digital tool, like Keyzapp, to help. Our key fobs and handy app take the stress out of managing your keys, so that you know where every set is at all times.
To use it, simply assign a set of keys to a fob. When somebody (like an estate agent, the landlord, or a maintenance crew) uses the key, they tap the fob on their smartphone to log that they’ve taken it, with additional information around when they took it and what the key is for added automatically.
You’ll then have real-time access to where all of your keys are so that you’ll never lose sight of a set ever again.
We’ve been helping property managers and real estate agents for over 10 years, and have kept a close eye on over hundreds of thousands of keys. If that’s not tried and tested, we don’t know what is.
Upgrade Your Entry Points
Windows and doors are the main entry points that criminals will use to gain access to your building. Along with securing your keys, there are plenty of ways you can make these areas harder to break into.
During the security audit, ensure that all windows and doors are checked across the properties. They should have secure, working locks and be in good condition, with robust frames that prevent easy entry into the building. Check that the hinges are sturdy, too, and note any windows or doors that need to be upgraded.
A quick task that you could suggest to landlords is switching locks between tenants. This reduces the number of keys in circulation, drastically cutting down on security risks. You might also advise that they add strike plates to reinforce door locks and upgrade to anti-snap systems, which are far harder for criminals to break.
Consider Doorbell Cameras
Adding complete security systems to every property might be a stretch. If that’s the case, doorbell cameras are a fantastic alternative.
These devices add a motion-activated camera to the property’s doorbell that begins recording when it senses movement. The resident in the buildings will then receive a notification letting them know someone is near their door, and can view the footage in real-time.
Most doorbell cams also enable residents to talk to the person at the door, which is handy for ID verification.
For landlords, doorbell cameras are a quick, cost-effective upgrade that causes little disruption. They immediately improve building security, too, making them a smart recommendation.
Install Outdoor Lighting
Good lighting is one of the simplest, most scalable security measures that landlords can implement across multiple properties. Well-lit exteriors make it much harder for intruders to approach unseen, while also helping residents and staff feel safer when entering or leaving the building at night.
For enhanced security, advise that landlords install motion-sensor lights. Not only are these more likely to surprise and deter potential criminals, but they can also alert residents to movement outside the property. They’re energy-efficient, too, keeping running costs lower while prioritising security - win-win!
When installing lights, be sure to keep them away from windows where possible. No one enjoys an outdoor light shining through their curtains, so be mindful of reducing disturbance while upping security.
Provide the Right Contact Information
In property management, it’s essential that everyone - from tenants to landlords - knows who to contact in the case of a security threat. Clear communication is a top defence against break-ins, preventing delays and reducing confusion for faster action.
Make sure that all residents have the correct information on who to contact, be that the landlord or the property management team. They should have a direct phone number that’ll be monitored around the clock, as well as an email address for less urgent issues.
It’s also important that the landlord knows who to reach. As the property manager, you’ll need to provide them with a direct line of communication. They should know who to talk to in emergencies and how to get hold of them, ensuring they use the right channels for speedy service.
Final Thoughts
As a property manager, it’s important that you help landlords protect their assets and keep residents safe; it’s one of the hallmarks of a great management team! Hopefully, these tips have given you the foundations you need to get started.
For more property management advice, check out the latest on the Keyzapp blog.