When tenants rent a home, they are accustomed to having smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, but burglar alarms are a different story. Landlords have a legal obligation to protect the safety and security of the houses they rent out, but this seldom translates into a burglar alarm system.
So, what should you do if you want to keep your rental home safe from break-ins? Is there a distinction to be made between flats and houses? Is it possible to ask your landlord to build a system or do it yourself? What are your legal rights and responsibilities when it comes to the safety and security of your home?
Rented homes are at higher risk
Studies have found that burglaries are more common in privately rented property. Such housing is considered to have a lower degree of home security generally compared to owner-occupied property. Window locks, security lights, and burglar alarms were either of poor quality or missing completely. Burglars were more likely to notice properties with security problems that they might exploit since neither the landlord nor the renters had a strong motivation to invest in the protection of the property.
Keys are another area of security concern with rental properties. Most landlords do not replace the locks between leases, which means that former renters may be able to get access to your property with ease, not to mention letting agents.
Responsibilities of landlords in terms of home security
In general, landlords must offer a secure and safe environment for renters to live in. However, although this includes regular inspections for gas, electrical, and fire safety, it excludes burglar alarms. This is mostly due to a significant incentive for landlords to avoid installing burglar alarms since they are then responsible for ensuring that the system is operational. If it isn’t, they may be held accountable in certain situations.
Landlords must ensure that all of the locks are insurance-approved. As a result, renters should insist on changing the locks when they move into their new property. Before you move in, inspect the property’s doors and windows for any possible concerns, such as a lack of window locks or doors with a subpar locking mechanism.
Alarm systems for tenants
It’s well worth it to discuss installing a burglar alarm system with your landlord. However, if yours refuses, you may still be able to get some kinds of alarm systems on your own. If you go this route, try to stay away from typical alarm systems that need wires and complex installation since most landlords will prohibit any work that damages the walls.
For renters, a wireless system is perfect since it can be deployed with minimum disruption to the property. Wireless technology eliminates the need to run cables across an apartment or home and risk losing a security deposit due to damage to walls or fixtures. Using 3G mobile technology, photo detectors, shock sensors, and security cameras may be remotely linked to a central hub. They’re also a lot simpler to take down when you’re moving, so you can take your security system with you.
Wireless systems also offer the advantage of continuing to operate even if the main electrical supply is disconnected, which is a typical strategy employed by thieves who have planned their assault ahead of time.
Detecting and responding to burglar alarms
An alarm system is merely a means of alerting someone to the occurrence of anything unexpected. If it doesn’t feature 24-hour monitoring, the alarm is entirely reliant on people who are physically there at the time it sounds (or connected via an app with unmonitored alarms). As a consequence, the alarm system is less effective. Modern monitored wireless alarm systems from Ultimate Alarms are linked to an accredited Alarm Receiving Centre where operatives remotely monitor your security system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. These professionals can filter out any false alarms and respond appropriately to other alarm events using data sent to them in real time by the alarm in your property. Additionally, the system can be controlled from a smartphone, allowing you to monitor and review all alarm events.
Although rental properties are more vulnerable to crime, this does not imply that you are helpless. Check the quality of your locks, learn about the crime rate in your neighbourhood, and ask about wireless alarm system installation with your landlord. You may be able to avoid becoming another crime statistic if you take action to protect yourself today.
If you’re looking for a burglar alarm in Glasgow, Lanarkshire or Renfrewshire get in touch with Ultimate Alarms today and let us protect your home the right way.
