Rental Property Safety Tips: Don’t Be An Easy Target. Vacation rental properties can be an easy target for local petty thieves, so the need to be prudent and wise cannot be overstated.

After all the planning that went into your choice of vacation spot, not to mention a long day of travel getting here with a bit of worry along the way about finding it, you have finally arrived. Everyone has plopped down and started to relax.

It’s natural to feel carefree and behave likewise while on vacation. Isn’t that the point, after all?  You are here to relax and have a reprieve from your usual worries of the day, with none of the normal constraints. This is exactly what makes you a perfect target for property crime!

It’s easy to think that because everything is new and unknown to you as a visitor, that it is the same for others around you. In truth, it’s the opposite for predators who may be lurking. This is their home turf and they know all the cracks, crevices, and angles. It is not unusual for vacation rental homes to be broken into. Nor is it something many of us want to admit or talk about.

Unfortunately, a lot of property managers don’t actually care if you get robbed or property contents get stolen. Because it is not going to cost them a thing, they don’t bother warning you to be cautious. Best not to talk about it, right?

Wrong! The best property managers will tell you about the possibility of crime and how to stay safe.

Better safe than sorry

Here are some simple pointers to minimize the chances of you going home feeling sad and violated.

• Keep your doors and windows locked when you aren’t in the immediate area.
• Keep the security doors locked even when you are lounging on the living room couch.
• Keep purses, bags and valuables out of sight when you aren’t using them — even when the doors and windows are locked but open.
• Keep your valuables with you in the bedroom when going to bed.
• Keep smaller valuables locked in the safe.
• If you took something outside, bring it with you when you come back inside. Don’t leave anything outside that wasn’t there to begin with.
• Don’t assume you are safe on the second floor. It isn’t that hard for a thief to climb and jump from a balcony.

Keep in mind that you will meet lots of friendly locals, who can help make your visit enjoyable and memorable. But don’t let your guard down just because they “seem nice.”  You do not know your surroundings, but the locals do and they know who you are.

Certainly, there are lots of good people just going about their day, but mixed in with them is that one exception — someone jumping at the chance to snap up and stroll off with your belongings, simply because they were left unattended. It was a chance just too easy to pass up.

There is no need to be paranoid or obsessive, just be careful. Don’t make it easy for petty thieves with sticky fingers to take advantage. If it isn’t easy, most won’t bother.