There are many differences between renting and owning your own home. You may have more restrictions over what you can and can’t do if you’re renting a house or apartment. For example, you might not be able to decorate or add permanent fixtures. You also have to bear in mind that you might not live there for a long period of time, depending on your plans and situation, so your belongings and any additions you make should be easy to take with you when you leave.
How does this affect renters in terms of installing home security? Let’s look at some tips for conveniently securing your rented property and the best types of home security systems for rented homes.
Understand your contract
Carefully read your contract or rental agreement to understand what you can and can’t install in your rented home. Also, find out who is responsible for keeping the house or apartment secure. Your landlord may be obligated to install things like burglar alarms and carbon monoxide detectors if you don’t already have them.
Speak to your landlord
Once you have a better idea of the situation, get in touch with your landlord to bring up your security concerns and ask what your options are. You could ask them to have someone install a better security system in your home or ask them if you are allowed to add your own.
Always secure your apartment
Always make sure to lock doors and windows before leaving your apartment or when going to bed. Depending on how safe and how busy your area is, you may also want to keep the door locked while you’re home during the day. If your house or apartment has a burglar alarm, then you should get into the habit of setting this at night and when you’re out of the house. As well as keeping your belongings safe, setting your home alarm also helps with insurance if a break-in does occur.
Go wireless
If you’re installing a security system or individual components like a security camera, wireless or wire-free devices are a much better option for renters. These are easy to install and take back down, so you can easily take them with you if you move home. And when you don’t have to worry about wiring a system in, there shouldn’t be any problems with breaking the terms of your lease.
Don’t avoid renter’s insurance
You may be tempted to save money by skipping out on renter’s insurance, but this is something you’ll regret if an incident does occur. It can save you a lot of money and hassle in the long-run.
If you need help with choosing, installing, or moving your home security system, then contact Carolina Alarm for our support and professional services for residential and commercial security around Greensboro, North Carolina, Kernersville, Winston Salem, and High Point, North Carolina.