Baltimore, MD · Member since 2017 · 9 posts · 3 votes
I recently bought a row house in Baltimore, MD, in NE Highlandtown on a somewhat "lively" block (lots of through traffic, regular drug deals, but also kids and people just hanging out and music). The houses trashcan was stolen immediately and it seems like somebody tried to break into the lockbox. I want my property to be safe from break ins, but also don't want the neighbors to feel like I am spying on them. I am concerned about the safety of the property, so I installed security bars on the back and basement window. I also added a prop up bar to secure the back door (are those effective?)
What other safety measures do you recommend? Security camera out front or inside? motion sensors?
Also, does anybody have experience with any of these home security systems? https://www.asecurelife.com/best-home-security-system-without-monitoring/
I would add an alarm system to the home asap. If you do not have blinds and or curtains put those up asap as well. Remove the lock box. Add a welcome mat outside of the front door. To the windows in the basement I would block them off so that no one can look in. Also think about adding security doors to the front and back. The goal is to make it appear that someone lives in the home. Vacant homes no matter the condition are a drug addicts playground. Squatters will also move in these homes and you will have to evict them through the court as if they were real tenants.
@Sarah Kuppert there are several things you can do. The main one we do with our vacant houses is put the lockbox someplace it is not obvious. We almost never put it on the door handle. As already said that is a strong signal the house is vacant. We also often screw the rear door shut.
Signs are a good idea because they are cheap. I like the bio hazard idea :-) A sign like do not disturb the tenants, or this property is under constant surveillance can help. There was a vacant house 2 blocks north of Patterson Park. It was obviously vacant yet sat untouched for years. It had a sign with a drawing of a camera and said something like "It is a federal crime to Trespass on this property."
I like the idea of security doors and windows. We have never added them to our properties because most we re-sell quickly. Once tenants get in our rentals, it ceases to be an issue.
I am not familiar with the system you mentioned but alarms area good idea too. Many investors use "Simply Safe" it is a portable alarm you can move from property to property. The one you mentioned is probably similar.
You can customize these alarms and have cameras, motion sensors, monitoring etc. as you need. Perfect for landlords or rehabbers that have vacant houses there change on a regular basis.
In 3 extreme cases we have installed DAWGS temporary security doors and windows. They are basically big metal plates that cover doors and windows and cannot be used in a house that is lived in. These are expensive and probably not what you want.
We started using Simplisafe in our vacant rentals. You buy the pieces that you want and then start and stop the monitoring service as required. The hardware is t too expensive and you can order packages or order “a la carte” and only pick the pieces you need. I also like that there’s no contract so we aren’t wasting money paying for monitoring when we aren’t using it. In addition, all of the sensors are named and Simplisafe has an app so you can set up your phone to get alerts about exactly which sensor triggered and what time, etc. can also arm and disarm the system from your phone. A few tips I learned when we installed our system:
1. The motion sensors seem to be pretty sensitive, ours has trigger 4 or 5 times in the last 2 weeks but none of the entry sensors have triggered so my thought is that they are (hopefully) picking up movement outside the windows, so try to place your sensors so this wouldn’t be an issue if possible
2. Most cities require an “alarm permit” which I didn’t know was a thing, but it is, and it comes with hefty fines in some areas if you don’t have one so check with the police department if you decide to install one and see what their policy is
3. Have at least 2-3 people for the dispatchers to call if a sensor is triggered before sending police. As I said, ours has triggered several false alarms but thankfully between my partner and I we’ve been able to answer all the dispatch calls so far and disregard before they send out police. In our city, you get like 1 or 2 false alarms and then they start charging you. I’m trying to find a third person to add to our contact list for this reason
Good luck!
@Sarah Kuppert Great suggestions in this thread. Also interesting idea from @Ned Carey on the DAWGS doors. I've dealt with 10 breaks-ins at Baltimore City vacants in the past year and have a few lessons learned. I would add the following:
the $100 security doors at Depot are junk and thieves can easily cut through the wire mesh to unlock the thumb-turn deadbolt. They are basically a deterrent that should be considered a robust screen door.
reinforce your deadbolts by attaching the door jambs to the framing using this method.
security bars that prop up against the door knob are ok but tend to slide out at the bottom. They work better if there is an anchor on the floor to prevent slippage
Security alarms will not deter a thief from entering, but his time in the house will be limited to police response time. Earlier this year I had a junkie who would break-in each morning and steal a light fixture while the SimpliSafe alarm was blaring. Enough to get his fix for the morning.
Consider getting a motion sensor game camera to catch photos of any thieves. It will help them get locked up so at least you can finish your rehab without the same guy robbing you blind repeatedly.
Thieves can easily cut through a lockbox to take the key, forcing you to change all your locks. In my experience this is neighborhood-specific. A lockbox in one neighborhood can go untouched for months while in another neighborhood criminals are brazen enough to do their work in plain view at the front door