How do I prevent theft in my rental property?

Question

I recently purchased a rental in an undesirable area.  I have identified a property manager, but how should I go about securing the property while we rehab?

Jim K. · Answer

No, Lynette, I had a long conversation with a SimpliSafe rep about it, actually. You can get a good 8-camera wired system, HD resolution, night vision, motion spotlight, DVR, online upload capability, for about $300. You can buy additional generic writing cables to handle pretty much any setup you might face. The weatherproof camera housings for traditional CCTV cameras can fit the small wired cameras The SimpliSafe cameras, at $99 a pop, simply don't stack up to that kind of camera value for what you actually need cameras for: getting evidence, monitoring outside approaches and porches, watching specific approaches. I think people are a lot better off with an expandable wired indoor/outdoor camera system. Camera monitoring systems do a significantly different job than alarm system. Integrating the two doesn't make as much sense as most people can be led to believe.

I also really don't trust the long-term viability of wireless camera systems. The tech to beat them is already out there, and it's cheap.

Jim K. · Answer

@Nadiyah Malbon

This is a constant problem for me. I've had a good deal of success using the SimpliSafe alarm system and a wired Night Owl camera setup.

Let me explain my differences with @Nathan G.'s point of view on this.

We always have one property under renovation, and the property is usually in an ugly neighborhood. We specifically look for well-built, comfortable old SFR in our target neighborhoods. Whatever security system we use needs to be transferable from one property to the next and had to be able to be customized for each property. SimpliSafe's base station and keypad can do this -- go from one property to another, and you can buy different sensors to fully handle your different needs in each property. SimpliSafe also works if the power is cut and its call-in function is cellular, not wired. You can set up the system so that the monitoring center will call you or anyone you designate before it calls the police. Simply put, this system is really hard to beat. And the monitoring fee is $15/month, about half of what other systems charge for 24/7 monitoring.

A separate wired camera system gives you additional functionality for significantly less money. The cords on the cameras allow better recordings to the central DVR station. You're going to have to mess with cords anyway if you want cameras that plug into power outlets and have features like motion-detecting spotlights, which have clearly been a very effective crime deterrent for us. The base station can still be set to upload to the Internet through an Ethernet connection.

For an upfront cost of about $600 ($300 SimpliSafe, 300 Night Owl) and $15/month, only a professional housebreaking crew is ever going to have a serious chance at beating your security. And professional housebreaking crews don't go after properties under renovation. There's no money in it for them. It works very well for us and our needs.

Jim K. · Answer

The entire system is cellular. You do not require internet service at the property you're protecting. That's what makes the basic system most useful in our rehab houses. It also has a 24-hour battery backup with a warning when it loses power.

Lynnette E. · Answer

I have and use SimpliSafe for my personal homes.  I bought one of their cameras and have never been able to get it to work.  Have you ever used the SimpliSafe cameras?  I noticed you recommended a different one.

Jim K. · Answer

@Dennis M.

Agree about the external lighting on front and back doors. We got hit once even though we had a yard sign out. Thankfully, there was a real system in place. The crooks ran in after they got the door open and tripped the alarm, ripped the control panel off the wall, and ran. SimpliSafe sent me a new panel free.

I know I'm shamelessly plugging this company. They're not giving me anything free for it. It's just a great, smart deal for property investors, better than anything else I've looked at out there.

Dennis M. · Answer

Fake yard signs and decals bought off amazon does the job . Good exterior lighting and fake camera help immensely

Nathan Gesner · Answer

How is Simplisafe monitored? Do you require internet service at the home or is the entire thing cellular?

Trenton Miller · Answer

When we're renovating projects in Los Angeles that are in undesirable areas we use a third-party security company that brings a camera in that is powered through solar.  If there is traffic on the job site within specified periods it will alarm the security company which will in turn contact the police and us so that we know what's going on.  Video surveillance is also stored in the cloud 24/7.

It does cost you additional money.  However it's better than getting all of your Romex and copper stripped out of your walls as well as equipment loss.

You can also set the alarm to an audible sound or a silent alarm.

Nathan Gesner · Answer

There are wireless cameras available on Amazon. They have to connect to an internet connection but you can easily solve that by setting up Wi-Fi in the house or using a cell phone hotspot.

How do I prevent theft in my rental property?

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