Life is an uncertain affair, but our security tips for renters are a good way to reduce the chances things will go awry in your home. From helping to protect your belongings to enhancing your personal safety, our recommendations are easy to implement and won’t break the bank.
Warding off burglars
Lock doors and windows
We’re all sometimes tempted to leave windows and even doors unlocked if we’re leaving the house for “just a couple of minutes.” Don’t do it. According to a survey of burglars reported by Forbes Home, 42 per cent entered homes through unlocked windows and 39 per cent through unlocked doors.
If you have patio doors, upgrade the lock (door manufacturers’ locks are notoriously flimsy and easy to pick) and make sure you use a security bar or even a broom handle to prevent a burglar from sliding the door open.
Remember to keep a current inventory of your possessions in case you need to make an insurance claim following a break-in, fire or other catastrophe.
More on protecting your home against burglars.
Security systems for rental properties
Installing a security system inside your rental unit or home could deter burglars (homes without security systems are 300 per cent more likely to be robbed, according to Forbes). Security cameras inside rental properties are permitted in Ontario. Local companies like Bee Alarmed offer wireless systems that don’t require drilling in walls for rental properties.
Keep prying eyes out
Got a big screen TV, a pricey new gaming console or other valuable items easily seen from outside your rental home? Key security tips for renters include drawing the curtains or lowering the blinds, especially at night when bright interior lights spotlight your home’s contents.
Bonus: because they are harder to get through, curtains and blinds may dissuade a burglar from entering your home via a window.
Along with window coverings, use timers to turn a radio and lights off and on when you’re away. A light or TV left on all the time as a “deterrent” to burglars could tip them off that the property is actually empty.
MORE: Extra ways to protect your home against burglars
Get to know the neighbours
Technology is helpful in protecting your rented premises, but so are the folks living around you. They can monitor your rental home while you’re away and alert you and others of suspicious activity in the neighbourhood. Get to know your neighbours (you don’t have to become besties) by chatting with them in the driveway or elevator and offer to trade phone numbers with those you trust in case something happens when either of you is away.
Don’t advertise that you’re gone
Be cautious when on social media about publicly posting your vacation or other away-from-home plans. Security tips for renters — or anyone, for that matter — include keeping your vacation photos to yourself until you get home: by sharing them with friends on social media when you’re still on holiday, you run the risk that those folks could, without intending harm, release them into the public sphere where burglars may be watching for opportunities.
Protecting against fire, electrical surges & personal danger
Avoid fire loss
Never leave the kitchen if something is cooking on the stove. Unattended cooking is one of the leading causes of home fires in Canada. You should also have a fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen.
MORE: Preventing and dealing with kitchen fires
Renting in an apartment building? Make sure you know where the emergency exits are in case a fire or other emergency forces you to get out quickly.
And remember: take particular care to protect your family and home against fires during the holiday season.
Use surge protectors
Your rental building may already have surge protection built into the electrical system to protect electronic devices, appliances and other household items from damage or destruction from voltage spikes caused by lightning strikes and other events.
Even if your landlord or property manager confirms the building is safe against surges, protecting sensitive items like computers and televisions with individual surge protectors is a good idea because systems are fallible. Here are three products recommended by the New York Times. Remember that surge protectors don’t last forever and need to be replaced every three to five years.
Ensure personal safety
You don’t want to spend your life imagining you’re about to be mugged, but common sense dictates that you take precautions, especially at night, such as avoiding dark areas around your building, being watchful in parking lots and having your entrance key in your hand before you arrive at the front door so you don’t have to fumble in your purse or pocket.
If you are renting in a building where you feel there’s inadequate exterior lighting or other dangers, ask the property manager to correct them. You may have to advocate a bit and get other tenants on your side, but everyone benefits from a safe living environment.
More security tips for renters
Tenant insurance: an affordable investment
Renter’s insurance is an inexpensive way to protect your valuable possessions against losses from theft, fire or other causes yet, according to a 2021 survey, less than 50 per cent of Canadian renters carry it.
Prices vary, but costs for tenant insurance can be as little as $20 a month, depending on factors like the amount and type of coverage amount.
Your landlord’s insurance will not protect you in the event of loss. Taking a few seconds to discover how much it would cost to replace that beloved TV or computer should convince you that tenant insurance is a must.
MORE: Tenant insurance explained
Your landlord’s obligations
Your landlord also has obligations to ensure the safety and security of your rental home. They include:
- Installing and maintaining smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. You should regularly test both types of detectors to ensure they are working.
- Ensuring everything provided to the tenant — electrical, heating and plumbing systems; windows, doors and locks; appliances; and more — is in good working order.
- Maintaining the lobby, garage, pool and other areas and taking steps to control pests like cockroaches and mice.
When you are looking for rental accommodation, ensure that exterior lights and a safe parking garage offer protection against nighttime muggers and ask about security cameras and other protective devices in common areas.
Find out more about landlord and tenant obligations to maintain and repair a rental property in Ontario.
