Skip to main content

Tips to stay safe when showing your rental property


One sad reality is that as women (and men too!) we have to think about our personal safety all the time. When you show a rental property, you're meeting people you don't know in a private home. Many people have favored open-house style showings in the past (I never really did) but with the COVID-19 pandemic those are more risky than meeting one on one with potential tenants.

But we need to stay safe. Here are my tips for ensuring your personal safety while you build your empire.

Pre-screen your tenants

Even if you don't want to pre-screen your applicants, you need to collect some basic information on everyone who will be coming to view your property. At the very least, you need their name, phone number and email address. If they don't want to give you this, next!

The buddy system

It's unrealistic to bring another person every time you have a showing, I often show on my way home from work so arranging another person to come with me every time would be a PITA. However, I always tell someone (my husband in my case) how many appointments I have and keep a list of their names and numbers. He knows when to expect me back home.

I would suggest making your list and leaving it out on a table or a counter so possible tenants can see it. I add an extra 1-2 fake appointments at the end, so that anyone viewing your unit, even the last person, thinks another person could be arriving at any time.

Setup for safety (and marketing...)

When you arrive to show the unit, I always make sure to come at least 5 minutes early, go through the house and turn on all the lights and open all of the blinds. Not only will this be a safer setting but it helps to show the house in the best light!

I also open the front door and leave it open during the showing. It's inviting but also gives the impression that another person can walk in at any time.

In my smaller unit, I let the prospects look around while I hang out in the living room near the front door (you cannot do this if you show occupied but I always show empty). In the two-level unit, I let them go up the stairs first and I follow. It seems I'm being polite but it's also safer for me. When we're upstairs, I let them go in the bedrooms and hang out by the stairs in the hallway in case they have questions.

Choose where you invest wisely

You also want to invest in areas where you are comfortable going. Everyone's comfort level is going to be different, the important thing is you are comfortable going there and visiting your properties.


I don't want fear to keep me from building my business but I do believe in taking precautions where I can in order to stay safe.What do you do to ensure your safety when you show your rental properties? I would love to read your tips in the comments!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Trader Joe's Weight Watchers shopping list

Trader Joe's has long been one of my favorite places to grocery shop! Not only do they have staples but they have amazing frozen food and lots of unique items that other stores don't carry. It's basically a hippie paradise of alternative foods. It's also amazing when you don't have lot of time to cook or meal prep because they have so many great pre-made and frozen foods. We can't meal prep all the time now can we? The really annoying thing about my TJ's store is there is NO internet or cell reception! Which means I cannot check point values while I'm in the store. Thus, it has been challenging for me to shop there and took a lot of trips to put this list together. If there are other must-haves from TJs please comment and I will update! If you're looking to save a few bucks on more basic items, check out my Aldi shopping list here . Or if you are new to WW check out my tips for getting your kitchen ready. All point values below were upda

Weight Watchers on a budget - Aldi shopping list

I joined Weight Watchers in an attempt to get healthy! While I thought I ate pretty healthy, there was a lot of sugar and carbs in my diet and not enough vegetables. To keep WW more affordable, I recommend shopping mostly at Aldi where fruit and vegetables are very affordable compared to "mainstream" stores. If you're new to Aldi, c heck out my post on shopping there as it has a few quirks. If you need help with kitchen equipment that can help you with WW, check out my post on preparing your kitchen for success . I also really like Trader Joe's for fancier items, check out my TJs shopping list for WW  before your next trip there. So what should you buy to help you on your WW journey? All point values below were updated in March 2021 on the MyWW+ program, the points listed are for the blue plan. I recommend using your scanner to double check point values. Let's start with the fun stuff, the snacks! A lot of my snacks on the program are fruits and raw v

The 3 worst pieces of real estate advice

Let me say that I am not a landlord expert but I am often shocked at the horrendous advice offered up as wisdom on landlording forums. Don't get me wrong, networking groups (online and in-person) can be a great resource as you try to learn the ropes but be wary of some advice - even if it's what you want to hear! So here it is, the worst advice you can take when starting your landlording journey and my alternative advice! Photo by  PhotoMIX Ltd.  from  Pexels 1) Get an FHA loan, even if you're not going to live in the house. When someone is trying to buy a property but doesn't have enough money to put down, "get an HA loan" is often tossed out but this kind of loan is only for owner occupied properties and when you apply for it you're agreeing to live in the house for a certain length of time. I am shocked when I see this suggested to people online, not only is it mortgage fraud but those suggesting it are pretty cavalier to suggest it