RateMyStudentRental Blog

When selecting a rental, many students often ignore the safety factor. Sure the front door has a lock, and maybe even a deadbolt, but how safe are you really? Some of you have the benefit of being in a safe environment while attending school, but all of us at RateMyStudentRental chose Flint, MI to attend college. Maybe you don’t know, but Flint is consistently in the top five most dangerous cities by population. Think of it like this, we have one of the highest chances of being victim of a violent crime in the country. I guess some might consider us authorities on security.

So, after witnessing MANY of our friends having their houses and cars broken into, here are a few tips we've come up with to keep in mind when scoping out your place.

The Weak Points: Doors and Windows

Of course your property has locks on the doors and windows, but what condition are they in? A wooden door in a wooden frame simply won’t cut it. First off, chances are it won’t be thermally acceptable. Security-wise a swift kick or strong shoulder and an intruder is standing in your living room ogling your Playstation and plasma trying to figure how it’s going to fit through the door he just busted down. Wooden door frames splinter, and wooden doors break. It’s a fact, steel is stronger than wood, so why wouldn’t you want your deadlock secured in a steel casing in order to hold your steel door shut?

Windows unfortunately are windows. Unless you have unsightly bars, which incidentally scream “BAD NEIGHBORHOOD,” windows are a weak point. Still each should have a working locking mechanism.

The Alarm System

Alarms are important, but what kind does your prospective rental have (or does it even have one at all)? Some alarms are self contained noise makers, and obviously only minimally effective. There are perimeter alarms which have sensors on each door and window and often have motion sensors as well. Additionally, utilizing a service such as ADT to monitor your alarm and notifying police when the alarm is activated greatly increases your safety and reduces your risk of a break in.

If you live in a bad part of town like we do, finding a rental with a security system can be well worth the effort and money. The first time a thief breaks in and steals your computer, you'll wish you had shelled out the extra $50/month for that place down the street that had ADT. Trust us.

"Security" Lighting

Here’s one that is quite counterintuitive. Most students and landlords believe that a “security light,” one that lights up the dark areas around a house when motion is detected, deters would be burglars. Actually, the exact opposite is true! It seems these things light up so often, that no one pays attention to them anymore. Burglars realize this, and actually use the lights to their advantage; you're actually illuminating one of the weakest points of your house and making it easy for the thief to see what they're doing.

Safe Parking

This one can be difficult to secure because many times you’re stuck with what is available. Property enhancements often don’t extend to the yard and driveway for student rentals and you may even have to park in the street. Good lighting is a common desire, but I urge you to remember what was said previously. More importantly for safe parking is an open area. If there are no places for an assailant to hide, then a surprise attack will likely be avoided.

Wherever you park, one good tip is to keep all valuables out of sight. Even not-so-valuables should be hidden. We've had friends whose cars were broken into, the CD's were left (after all, who listens to CD's anymore?), and all the change from their cup holder was taken!

Bonus Tip: The "Student Rental" Sign

This is one that a lot of people may not think about, but we've seen what a difference this makes here in Flint. The "Student Rental" sign in the window or out in the front yard is like an X on a treasure map to burglars. If "Student Rental Sign" were in the Burglar Dictionary (assuming there was such thing as a Burglar Dictionary), here is what it'd say:

Student Rental Sign (noun):

A sign posted on an otherwise unassuming rental property indicating the presence of many valuables, and often cutting edge electronic equipment, inside that rental.

Be weary of rentals that are known for having this sign (even if the landlord takes it down now, chances are the burglars already know). And if your rental already has this sign, demand that it be taken down now (it can't hurt).

Do you have anymore suggestions or tips? We'd love to hear them in the comments.