Security Systems for Property Managers

Property management spans various sectors, including residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties, often overseen by dedicated firms respon­sible for regular mainte­nance and repairs. As a property manager, your role extends beyond upkeep to ensuring the safety and security of the premises, ultimately enhancing the return on investment (ROI) for property owners. To fulfill this critical aspect of your respon­si­bil­ities, it’s essential to have a security system specif­i­cally designed to meet the unique needs of property management.

Since every building is different, the use of security systems is also varied. While some combi­nation of access control, alarm system, and video surveil­lance typically does the job, how you use it depends on the type of building. Let’s look at some of the most common building types that property managers might need to secure.

Each type of building has specific security needs related to what happens at the property and how you can best mitigate risk. In this blog, we’ll look at some of the basic security precau­tions you should take, depending on the type of building.

Security for Single-Family Homes For Rent

Suppose you’re a property management company that works primarily with landlords who own a few residential properties. In that case, you need to keep those houses in good condition both while tenanted and while searching for a tenant. Since people will be living in these homes, you don’t want to install video surveil­lance anywhere inside the building, but good external coverage helps in the event of a break-in.

Monitored burglar alarms with motion detection at every point of entry are a must for any property that isn’t used regularly. While looking for a tenant, you’ll want to activate a monitoring service but not have a long-term contract once the property is rented.

Apartment Building Security

In apartment buildings, you have the same limita­tions on installing interior video surveil­lance inside living spaces, but you can and should install cameras in all common areas. If you have a laundry room or vending machines, a little extra video coverage can help you catch any problems quickly and move along tenants that might be more costly to have than a vacancy.

Access control is another part of apartment building security since you’ll want to provide a feeling of safety to your tenants. With remote management for your access control system, you can easily add in the latest tenant and remove anyone at the end of their lease term with no renewal.

Leveling Up Commercial Protections

While most burglaries happen to homes, the damage and loss numbers can be sky-high when thieves strike commercial properties. A full, custom-designed security system is your best bet when handling commercial customers. Access control is a must since you may have multiple tenants with differing business hours and public access for customers. Video surveil­lance and long-term video recording storage is necessary for inves­ti­ga­tions if something does happen.

Depending on the size of the building and the amount of traffic it gets, you might need a top-notch fire alarm system. And, of course, a burglar alarm and monitoring for after hours helps keep the property safe, even when all the tenants have left for the day.

Mixed-Use Buildings and Their Security Needs

In a small, mixed-use building, you’re essen­tially securing two areas with very different needs. The residential section needs access control, fire alarms, and common area surveil­lance but may not need much more than that.

The commercial area could need a lot more precise security, depending on what’s stored on the premises. For example, a business storing literal gold bars will likely need more advanced security than a neigh­borhood hair salon. Either way, walking through the opera­tions and assessing the security needed is a job for a profes­sional security consultant.

Protecting a Small Business

Small businesses are some of the most vulnerable to problems like employee theft or data breaches. In fact, some reports show that 64% of employees steal from small businesses. Why? Small businesses often have less security and operate more on a trust model. While as a property manager, you’re not respon­sible for what goes on inside the business, you could have some liability in the event of a break-in.

Make sure to protect your interests by protecting the physical features of the property with compre­hensive security coverage.