Friends Make for Safe Neighbors

Nextdoor is one of the newest social networking services for residents to discover their communities.  They recently conducted a survey on the state of the American neighborhood and studied how the simple act of getting to know your neighbors makes your community safer. Boston property managers should encourage residents to befriend their neighbors and to get involved in their communities, and by doing so residents will help foster safer places for your investment property.

A Matter of Manners

Do you know your neighbors by name? According to the Nextdoor survey, one-third of all Americans don’t! And if knowing your neighbor makes for a safer community, then that’s a large portion of our country that could be safer through this simple act. Case in point: 60% of people leaving town don’t take the necessary precautions to secure their property. The more your residents get to know their neighbors the more likely it is that those neighbors will keep an eye on your properties while your residents are away.

These behaviors illustrate how people fail to take precautions when leaving town:

• 38 percent of people don’t tell a neighbor that they are leaving
• 12 percent allow their mailbox to overflow
• 10 percent make social media announcements about their travels
• 8 percent don’t take the time to ensure their windows and doors are locked before leaving

Who’s Behind the Fence?

If homeowners and resident residents would get to know their neighbors, this could help for a safer situation on the home front when residents are out of town. Your neighbor may be more willing to hold your mail for you until you are back and keep an eye on the property for suspicious activities. A neighbor may even be willing to care for pets, plants, and other household needs. You just need to get to know each other.

Studies show that 72% of people feel confident that knowing their neighbors helps deter crime because neighbors with positive relationships are more inclined to watch out for suspicious activity at each other’s homes. Nearly half of people who do know their neighbors say this added safety measure keeps them from moving.

So with good reasons, encourage your residents to get to know their neighbors. When Boston property managers encourage residents to get to know their neighbors, it protects your investment and keeps surrounding neighborhoods safer against criminal activities while the resident is away.

If you are interested in having your property managed by Real Property Management Investment Solutions, have more questions, or just want to speak to one of our team members, then contact us online or call us directly at 616-419-8880 today!