Leasing a commercial property with multiple tenants can be a lucrative business but it can also make security more difficult. The sheer number of employees, vendors and customers coming in and out of the office can open you up to a greater risk of criminal activities, such as theft, assault and vandalism.
The good news is that there are some easy ways to protect your investment and the businesses leasing from you. Here are four tips that will help secure your multi-tenant office building from crime.
- Vet your tenants
One of the best ways to minimize criminal activity in a multi-tenant building is to make sure you properly screen all of your tenants. The better quality your tenants, the more they will respect the space they are renting.
Be sure to meet with the tenant before renting to them, running background checks, and reviewing their financial information. This will help ensure you are finding legit businesses to lease your space.
- Invest in a verified security system
Chances are you have a security system in place. But if you’re still using conventional CCTV systems, you need to rethink your property’s entire security.
By using an integrated Sonitrol verified security solution, your property and tenants will be properly secured. Verified video is monitored remotely in real-time by trained security professionals that work in highly-sophisticated environments. Once activated by audio detection, heat or motion sensors, a live stream will be broadcast directly to the monitoring facility.
These professionals will then verify the alarm. If it’s a real threat, they’ll dispatch the authorities. Unlike conventional alarms where criminals know they have time before the police turn up, police respond rapidly to verified alarms.
In fact, police respond in just 3-4 minutes due to the low false alarm rate associated with verified alarms.
- Use access passes
In many cases, installing managed access control can be an effective way to deter criminal activity. This is especially effective in multi-unit office buildings where your tenants operate by appointment only and do not have customers coming and going frequently.
Managed access control can help ensure that only authorized tenants and approved guests can access your property.
- Implement exterior security best practices
It isn’t just about what is going on inside your multi-tenant office building. You also need to consider how attractive the exterior of the building is to criminals.
To make it harder for people to break in, keep shrubs and other plants well maintained and away from windows. Shrubbery is an excellent way for criminals to get close to and break into your building without being seen. If you have trees around your building, make sure they are at least 7’ from the building to prevent rooftop highly sophisticated entry and entry through higher windows.
You also want to make sure the exterior is well lit at night. This will deter criminals and make it easier for passersby to spot suspicious activity.
And don’t forget signage. While “No Trespassing” or “No Loitering” signs don’t do much to deter criminals, they can give the authorities probable cause to question suspicious individuals.
If you are a commercial property manager who wants to keep your tenants and property safe, contact Sonitrol Western Canada today for a free security audit.
