It is always a good idea to implement some security measures to protect your Parsippany investment properties from vandalism. But even the best prevention is no guarantee. With roughly 15% of homes targeted by vandals each year, it is likely that one or more of your rental homes may eventually be hit.
When vandalism happens, you find yourself feeling a sense of violation and frustration as you deal with the police and your insurance company. Despite all that, you still have to make sure you are on top of doing the repairs that are much-needed as well as calm down your renter who is arguably just as upset as you are. Knowing what to do when vandals strike can help restore your sense of confidence and make navigating the recovery process just a bit easier.
The minute you realize that acts of vandalism of your property, it is important to contact the local authorities and file a police report. Your tenants could do things on their own and call the police, but as the Parsippany property owner, you should communicate with the investigating police officers and make sure that all property damage is documented in an official report.
Documentation is very important. You’d want to take a lot of detailed pictures of the vandalism for yourself and your insurance company too. If in case you are not able to immediately go to your property to do so, you might have your tenant or your property management company handle the documentation.
It will be your responsibility to make sure that all repairs from the vandalism are made unless the vandalism is caused by your renter or one of their guests. Working closely with your insurance company is a critical step in the process; they need to be informed as soon as the damage transpires. Don’t wait to be a victim of vandalism, checking if your landlord insurance policy covers this type of damage is one thing that you can do to know for sure what your financial risks are, otherwise, you may need to pay for the repairs yourself.
Lastly, vandalism can dismay a tenant, leaving behind not only the physical damage but also feelings of fear or anxiety. Their sense of security has been shattered, and they may need assurance from you that things will be okay and that you and your property management company are working hard to take care of things to bring back the clean and safe state of the rental property and their ability to live safely in it.
At Real Property Management NJ Elite, one of our top priorities is keeping both your tenant and your rental property safe from vandalism and other preventable damage. But if vandals do make a mess, we will handle the entire documentation and recovery process for you and make sure that your property is restored as soon as possible. Would you like to learn more? Please contact us online or call us at 908-955-7487 for details.
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