To keep your home safe from break-ins, theft, or squatters, it is essential that homeowners take proper security measures.
Vacant properties are especially vulnerable to squatting. This includes properties for sale that are no longer occupied by the owner, as well as investment properties that are left vacant between short- or long-term tenants.
Squatters illegally occupying your property can be very costly as damages can be incurred and legal costs can be incurred in eviction.
To protect your property from squatters, it is important to implement multiple security measures. (iStock)
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From a security perspective, there are a lot of simple things you can do to keep your assets safe and monitor them from afar.
- Steel security door installation
- Installing window guards
- Regular supervision
- Surveillance camera
- Maintain your assets in good condition even when not in use
1. Steel security door installation
When it comes to securing your home, regular locks and even smart locks don’t offer enough protection, especially if it’s an unoccupied home.
Quentin Fonteno, director of Dawgs Vacant Property Security, helps owners protect their properties by making their home’s entrances and exits safe.
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“If a building is vacant, smart locks don’t provide the level of security needed to keep out intruders,” Fontenot told Fox News Digital.
“We have steel security doors that also provide secure access via pin code. The best way to keep squatters out of your premises is to completely eliminate any means of access they may have.”
2. Installing window guards
To properly secure your home, think about the different entry points people may use to get in.
Ensuring that all entry points into your home are secure is extremely important. (iStock)
It’s best to have one on the first floor of your home, especially one that’s easy to access.
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Steel security doors will block the most obvious entry points, but if you also install steel window guards, they will be safe and secure too.
3. Regular supervision
Regular monitoring of your property is essential to its security.
If the property is far from your primary residence and you are unable to visit it regularly yourself, it is important to have someone check the property on your behalf.
It could be a family member, a friend, a trusted neighbor, or a company like Dawgs Vacant Property Security that offers inspection services to its clients.
If you don’t live close to your investment property, arrange for someone you trust to check out the house. (iStock)
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If you’re investing in a property other than your primary residence, for a short-term vacation rental or long-term lease, hiring a reputable property management company can help you inspect the property, handle the day-to-day running of it, and ensure that no suspicious activity is occurring.
4. Surveillance cameras
Surveillance cameras are an easy way to keep an eye on your property when you’re not there.
Many security cameras connect directly to your mobile phone, allowing you to receive alerts when movement is detected on your premises.
When installing your cameras, ADT recommends focusing on the various entry and exit areas of your home, which of course includes your front and back doors, but also consider first-floor windows and basements.
If you have an enclosed porch, it wouldn’t hurt to place a camera in that area as well.
Place your security camera facing the entrance of your home. (iStock)
Keep in mind that while security cameras are a good measure, they are not enough to protect your property.
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“A problem arises if an intruder goes unnoticed for a period of time and the owner doesn’t have access to evidence that the intruder is indeed an intruder,” Nick Oberhaus of Dawgs Vacant Property Security told Fox News Digital, noting that automatically deleting videos after a period of time could be a disadvantage to homeowners.
If this happens and the squatter has created a false lease, many states require the owner to go through court proceedings to evict the squatter.
Combining surveillance monitoring with steel door and window guards can help keep your property as safe as possible.
5. Maintain your assets in good condition even when not in use
Properties that appear to be unused can become targets for squatters.
Simple maintenance, like a neatly mowed lawn, can make your home look lived in, even when it’s not.
When friends or family come to check on your home, have them park in your driveway so they don’t get the impression that no one is home.
Maintain good home maintenance, such as keeping the lawn mowed, even when no one is living in the home. (iStock)
They can also install lights that turn on automatically when no one is actually inside, Oberhaus said, but added that squatters “are often scrutinized very closely.”
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In such situations, it is important to take various security measures to ensure that your home is fully protected.
