Vandalism of residential property is one of the most common crimes to befall property owners in La Crescenta and the surrounding neighborhoods. 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, but it also violates a tenant’s sense of security and community spirit, not to mention the potential detriment of property values. For these reasons, preventing vandalism must be the top priority for landlords and property owners alike.
One of the best ways to prevent vandalism is to install and maintain adequate exterior lighting. Vandals are drawn to dark spaces, desiring to do their dirty work out of sight. Motion sensor lights are explicitly competent and can be an energy-efficient selection that tenants will be thankful for.
If your rental property has a fence, a superb method to impede vandalism is to make sure that your fences are supplied with a secure gate that locks. Vandals are normally eyeing for easy targets, so having to climb over a fence or penetrate through a locked gate will go a long way toward inhibiting them out of the yard.
As a natural deterrent, take into account planting bushes or shrubs with rough bark, thorns, or pointy leaves throughout the property. The added greenery will uplift the aspect of your property while simultaneously presenting a painful challenge to any unwanted visitors making an attempt to get overly close to the home.
It may sound peculiar, but good quality window coverings can keep vandals away, too. Vandalism is a crime of opportunity; they will usually only strike if they think nobody is home. Having the windows overlaid with blinds or drapes will raise doubts about whether or not someone is home, especially if a light or two is left on at all times. It just might convince them to look for another, easier target.
Conclusively, if vandals do strike, it’s important to clean up the mess as soon as possible. These sorts of ne’er-do-wells enjoy having their handiwork seen and fussed over. If their damages are left unrepaired, they might return, only to repeat and make an even bigger, “better” mess. By painting over graffiti, repairing broken glass, and addressing any further damage right away, you are discouraging any vandal from returning.
By following these simple guidelines, you can keep your La Crescenta rental homes from shifting into an obvious target for vandals. At Real Property Management Vision, we suggest full-service property management involving monitoring your properties on a regular basis and arranging for repairs and maintenance should anything not work. If you would like more details on how to safeguard your home, please contact us online or by 818-233-8789 today.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
