Securing A Home You Are Renting

When you rent a home you will be a bit limited with regards to the things that you can do in order to better secure it from criminals. This article will give you advice on 4 things you can do around your rental to make sure it is as secure as possible.

1: Have the locks changed and give the landlord a copy

If your landlord has given you the keys that the previous tenant had then this isn't very safe. There is always the chance that there have been copies made by the previous tenants or their friends or family. You can change the locks, but you must make sure you give your landlord copies so they can access the property in case of an emergency or repair issue.

2: Have secondary locks put on all windows and sliding glass doors

When you rent you won't be able to replace old windows or sliders with newer, more secure ones. This means in order to better secure them you want to put secondary locks on the windows and sliders. You can purchase these locks from a hardware store and put them in yourself. Most styles simply screw right to the frame of the windows. You may also want to measure the tracks of your windows and sliding glass doors when they are tightly shut and go down to the hardware store to have some strong pieces of wooden poles cut that will fit in the track for even more protection.

3: Cut back thick bushes by your front and back doors

You generally won't be able to remove bushes from the yard when you rent without the permission of the landlord. However, you can cut them back as long as you don't kill them. Thick bushes by the doors give criminals coverage while they try to break in. You want to cut them low and as far back as possible to take that coverage away.

4: Switch out the current screen door with a security one

If your home already has a screen door on the front door then you can swap it out for a security screen that offers you more protection. You will want to make sure you are able to use the same holes and save the original screen so you can put it back before you move. If you don't already have a screen, you will need the landlord's permission to put in a security screen because it will require holes to be drilled in the frame of the door and things like this generally require written permission.

Contact a company like Scottsdale Locksmithing for more assistance.