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What to Do if Your Rental Property Has Been Vandalized

Close up of broken window on door of brick house.
Protecting your investment properties from vandalism is definitely very important. Conceding that you should make the necessary efforts, it’s important to be prepared for the possibility that, despite your full efforts, your property may still be vulnerable. With many homes targeted by vandals each year, it’s beneficial to have a plan to address any potential incidents at your rental properties.

When met with vandalism, it’s rational to feel violated and overwhelmed as you work with the authorities and your insurance company to repair your rental property while uplifting the morale of your frustrated tenant. But in fact, arming yourself with knowledge on responding to vandalism can help you reacquire control and make the recovery process more easily manageable.

Create a detailed report for insurance and legal purposes

If your property is vandalized, it’s very important to contact the local authorities and quickly file a police report. While your tenants may report the incident, as the property owner, you must communicate with the investigating police officers and always make sure that all property damage is properly documented in an official report.

Exhaustive documentation of property damage is significant. Snap a picture of every occurrence of vandalism, as insurance companies typically require these records. If you can’t visit the property, study about delegating this task to your tenant or property management company.

Address tenant concerns and maintain trust

If the vandalism is not caused by your renters or their guests, you are taking charge of repairs. It’s very important to involve your insurance company when the damage transpires. Completely make sure that your insurance policy covers vandalism before it takes place. You have to cover the repair costs yourself if it doesn’t.

Vandalism can fundamentally impact tenants, causing physical damage to their homes and emotional distress. Tenants may feel fear and anxiety as their sense of security is affected negatively. It is necessary to provide reassurance to tenants and obviously show efforts to restore the rental property and ensure their safety.

Enhance property security with lighting and alarms

As a rental property owner, it is crucial to focus on ensuring safety. One beneficial way to prevent vandalism and always ensure the safety of your property is to decide on installing a comprehensive security system that your tenants can utilize.

Furthermore, allowing bright, motion-activated outdoor lighting to illuminate the surroundings and fortifying all entry points with sturdy deadbolts can very much improve the rental property’s overall safety and security measures.

At Real Property Management Platinum, one of our top priorities is keeping your tenant and rental property safe in Clovis and nearby. We can operate the documentation and recovery process for you and give importance that your property is refurbished in an unfortunate circumstance. Want to find out more? contact us online or call us at 559-324-9400 for details.

 

Originally Published on December 14, 2018

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