Any property should be safe and secure. Your own home must have the necessary safety measures that you will be conscious of. You need to be more conscious of the needs of your rental property. You are solely responsible for your own home. With your rental property, you are responsible for the property and the tenants who will live there, not entirely but partly for sure. Here is how you can make sure your property is safe and secure.
- The minimum security standards require you to have a good lock for the main entry door. You can get a deadlock or you can opt for an AS 5039-2008 compliant key lockable security screen door. You may opt for state of the art locks with biometrics if you want but that is not obligatory. The minimum requirement is a single or double cylinder deadlock that can be easily opened and operated by the tenant. The deadlock can be either a single cylinder or double cylinder. A single cylinder deadlock can be opened from the inside simply by turning the handle or a knob, allowing a person to exit the house quickly in case of an emergency. All other doors should also have deadlocks, patio bolt locks or AS 5039-2008 compliant security screen doors with lock and key. All windows should have bolts and locks inside. They should be fitted so the windows cannot be opened from outside.
- There should be at least one light outside, illuminating the area around the main gate. If the property has multiple entries or exits, then all entries/exits should have at least one light. If the garage is a fair distance away from the gate, then there should be a light at the gate as well. Driveways should also be well lit. Apartments with balconies, doors and windows must have adequate locks. One shouldn’t be able to get in to the apartment via the balcony, its door or window. Windows and balconies should have guards, particularly in multistorey properties.
- Rental properties must have smoke alarms. There is an Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Smoke Alarms) Regulation enacted as law in 2006 that makes smoke alarms mandatory. You can get detailed information as to what types of smoke alarms you need depending on the type of property you own.
- Swimming pools and spa pools must be fenced, they must be registered with the concerned state authority such as the NSW Government Swimming Pool Register and the landlords or property owners must have the compliance certificate for relevant occupation for the last three years.
While it is not a legal requirement, property owners may contemplate the use of alarms and other security systems for enhanced safety.
