Nextdoor is one of the newest social networking services for residents to discover their communities. They recently conducted a survey on the state of the American neighborhood and studied how the simple act of getting to know your neighbors makes your community safer. Lawrenceville property managers should encourage tenants to befriend their neighbors and to get involved in their communities, and by doing so tenants will help foster safer places for your investment property.
A Matter of Manners
Do you know your neighbors by name? According the Nextdoor survey, ⅓ of Americans don’t! And if knowing your neighbor makes for a safer community, then that’s a large portion of our country that could be safer through this simple act. Case in point: 60% of people leaving town don’t take the necessary precautions to secure their property. For rental properties, if they don’t know their neighbors, then their neighbors are less inclined to keep an eye out for your properties while tenants are away.
These behaviors illustrate how people fail to take precautions when leaving town:
● 38 percent of people don’t tell a neighbor that they are leaving
● 12 percent allow their mailbox to overflow
● 10 percent make social media announcements about their travels
● 8 percent don’t take the time to ensure their windows and doors are locked before leaving
Who’s Behind the Fence?
If homeowners and tenant residents would get to know their neighbors, this could help for a safer situation on the home front when residents are out of town. Your neighbor may be more willing to hold your mail for you until you are back and keep an eye on the property for suspicious activities. A neighbor may even be willing to care of pets, plants, and other household needs. You just need to get to know each other.
Studies show that 72% of people feel confident that knowing their neighbors helps deter crime because neighbors with positive relationships are more inclined to watch out for suspicious activity at each other’s homes. Nearly half of people who do know their neighbors say this added safety measure keeps them from moving.
So, with good reasons, encourage your tenants to get to know their neighbors. When Lawrenceville property managers encourage tenants to know their neighbors it protects your investment and keeps surrounding neighborhoods safer against criminal activities while the tenant is away.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.