How do you stay safe?

It’s nearly a rhetorical question, isn’t it, in this day and age? Is anyone safe in their homes anymore? Well we can’t answer that. But we can give you a few tips.

Viewing accommodation

Would you normally give out your name, address and phone number to a stranger and ask them to pop in for a visit when you’re there on your own? Thought not, unless you’re built like a brick shit house (pardon the language). But you know what we mean.

If you’re viewing a prospective new home or are letting out a property or a room in your home, make sure you get the full name and phone number of whoever you’re meeting. Just in case. And maybe bring a friend, there’s no harm in it that way. We’re just saying. Or if you’ve got to go solo let someone else know where you’re going, who you’re meeting and so on. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Money

How much do you usually carry in your wallet? Bet it’s not much, just in case you’re going to be carjacked, pickpocketed or mugged. So why would you even consider bringing a few hundred euro or even a grand in cash to put a deposit on a place? Modern banking means it’s easy to transfer money from one account into another, without even making it to a bank branch. If you’re paying a deposit or paying your rent, do it electronically, pay by cheque or lodge it directly into a bank account. Don’t put yourself and your hard-earned cash at risk by bringing a lot of cash with you to a property viewing. Non-cash avenues of payment also add in the element of traceability and accountability into a renting transaction. No one can say they paid more or received less than they did if the proof is on a bank statement.

Contents insurance

Contents insurance is apparently ridiculously difficult for people who are renting or in shared accommodation to get. We haven’t done our homework on it yet, when we have we’ll tell you all about it right here. If you’re an insurance provider, a tenant who’s had either no problem or great difficulty getting contents insurance, we want to hear all about it and share it with our readers! Get in touch!

Advertising a room

You live on your own, really? And you’re a single female? Don’t advertise for trouble. While it is worthwhile mentioning that you are an owner occupier letting out a room, just don’t go posting up a photo of the outside of your home too hastily, or mention you’re single or that you don’t know anybody in the area. You just don’t know who’s out there, looking for easy pickings as regards a house to burgle, or whatever. Only give as much information as you need until a prospective tenant actually gets in touch with you.

Send out the right signals

Sometimes housemates wander. Maybe someone has a touch of sleepwalking, kleptomania or gets the idea into their head after a feed of drink that you’d like to sleep with them. Don’t be afraid to lock your door. If your sister or brother knows not to borrow your stuff, make sure the people you share a house with as an adult know not to overstep the mark and take your stuff. More on this in our Personal Space and Etiquette pages.

Changing locks

How many people have had a key to your house over the years it has been let out? To keep people who should no longer have access to the house out, it’s good practice for landlords to change the locks with each new tenancy. While this may be impossible if people move in and out of a property at regular intervals, it’s worthwhile thinking about, especially if former tenants have a thieving or temperamental streak.

Household security

Burglars will take any opportunity, so if you don’t want your new iPhone to disappear from the kitchen table in the dead of night, make sure yourself and your flatmates are clear on closing windows and locking doors. Without coming across as completely anal, ensure everybody understands that it’s not ok to leave the back door unlocked after every cigarette break, it’s not ok to leave downstairs or even upstairs windows open while everybody’s at work, and the house alarm only works if it’s set.

Servicemen

So, you never hear from your landlord, except maybe during a cold snap when he rings to check the pipes aren’t frozen and next thing a man appears at the door purporting to be sent by the landlord to fix something. Hmmm. Not sound dodgy to you? Don’t let anybody in unless they are supposed to be there. Call the landlord if needs be. Send the person away if the landlord doesn’t answer the phone. It’s not your problem you weren’t notified. Because chancers run all sorts of scams and you don’t want to be the eejit that falls victim to such a scam, do you?