10 Tricks to Keeping your Property Safe this Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Tonight, while you're being visited by little ghosts, witches, superheroes and zombies, it's important to keep the safety of your home in mind.

I know you're super busy making your monster mashed potatoes and adding the final touches on costumes, so I've created a quick list of tricks to help keep you and your home safe.

1. Light the Way

Dim lighting may create the illusion of a creepier environment but it can increase the chances of accidents. It's better to have a well-lit path as your visitors will be busy counting their sweet treats and not paying attention to what's in front of them.

2. Secure Railings

Time to fix those wobbly railings you've been putting off. Children and their guardians accompanying them might need extra support, so make sure you tighten them well.

3. Test Alarms

Make sure all security alarms are up-to-date and working properly. Although Halloween is a fun event, it can increase crime with so many people out and about. For condominiums and apartments, check that garage, hallway, lobby, laundry room cameras are running and pointing where they need to be. These are higher risk areas since most people will be distracted handing out candy.

4. Prevent Fires

In addition to security alarms, test your fire alarms and extinguishers. All those festive candles you've placed around your home and inside your pumpkins can cause major damage if not monitored or if the fire alarms aren't functioning. It's always a good idea to give them a quick test on a regular basis anyways. Another option is to use electronic lights to get that eerie glow.

5. Walkable Walkways

If you've got fun decorations all over your front walkway make sure there is a clear path for visitors to walk. It's also a good idea to give the stoop a sweep if the weather hasn't been the nicest and there are wet leaves or even snow (hopefully not this early!) covering it.

6. Park Inside

Park your vehicle in the garage if possible. Most apartments or larger buildings have indoor/underground parking available so take advantage of it. If there's no garage, park your car in a well-lit area to reduce the possibility of theft or vandalism.

7. Keep Pets Safe

Try to keep your pets contained in a safe and comfortable environment.They might be timid or anxious with all the excitement of different people entering your home, many in masks. In addition, as tempting as it is to make your pet feel part of the event, do not feed them any candy or chocolate. These items are dangerous and can be fatal to animals.

8. Remove Valuables from Sight

Remove valuable items from your vehicle or put them in the glove compartment as an extra precaution. It's also recommended to hide or relocate valuables you have in the front entrance or that are visible to visitors when they enter your home. Most people trick-or-treating are there for the candy but you certainly don't want to entice unwanted visitors.

9. Be Careful

Whether it comes to your home, family or treats your consuming, take a moment to assess each situation. For the most part, Halloween is a fun event of innocent children running around collecting candy but it's still smart to be cautious when opening the door for strangers, or entering other people's homes. If you are taking your child out, make sure you check their candy bag for tampered wrappers.

10. Shut it Down

At the end of the night or when you run out of candy (whichever comes first) make sure you turn out all of the lights and outdoor decorations. This let's late night trick-or-treaters know that they can skip your home and go onto the next for treats. Of course, you should still lock all your windows and doors as you would every night before heading to bed.

BONUS TIP 

Property managers, send your tenants a checklist of tips on how they can keep their home and family safe on Halloween. This can include tips like, "make sure you lock the door after each visitor", "Keep your animals behind a baby gate or in the bedroom so they won't escape or frighten visitors when you answer the door". Helpful Hint: Share this awesome and ready to send safety and security checklist with tenants.

What do you do to keep your home safe on Halloween? We'd love to add more awesome safety tips to our list.

Hope everyone has a safe and spooky Halloween.