If this is your first experience with New York, you may be a little worried about the safety of yourself as well as your valuables while staying in Manhattan rentals. Regardless of where you live, crime is just a fact of life and something you should guard against. Everyone is vulnerable to a certain degree, but there are some smart things you can do, starting right now, to protect yourself from harm. Half of the battle involves being aware and learning to think the way a criminal would.

According to police statistics and criminal psychologists, most crimes can be avoided if the victim takes the proper precaution. Bottom line? Don’t put yourself in harms way and you’ll be just fine in your Manhattan Rental.

Keys to Security In Your Manhattan Rentals

According to the New York police department, there were 17, 062 reports of theft this past year. This crime includes home invasion, burglary, pick-pocketing, shoplifting, break-ins, and even credit card fraud.

Because of the wide variety of crimes that come under the category of theft, it is extremely important to form good safety habits so you won’t have to think about  protecting yourself and your Manhattan rentals. Safety should come naturally. Read through the following tips and implement at least one each week. Come back to this list after a few weeks to be sure you aren’t neglecting any of them. Each one is important.

Top 5 Safety Tips for Manhattan Rentals

Social Network Dangers – You finally have a few days off work and you can’t wait to spend them with your family. While this may be exciting news you are dying to share, be cautious about jumping on Facebook or Twitter and announcing to the world the fact that you’ll be out of town. Consider who is going to be reading your posts and decide if sharing your news through these social networks is really worth the potential cost.

Other social networking tools that have the potential to place individuals in harm’s way include FourSquare and any other apps that share your location. Let’s say you are a young college female attending a local Manhattan bar by yourself to meet up with friends. Do you really want the world to know you’ll be leaving at midnight after having a few alcoholic drinks? Sharing this kind of information just sets you up for disaster.

Purchase a Light Timer- If you will be out of your apartment, consider using a light timer. This will put your lights on a timer, so anyone looking at your apartment from the outside will believe you are at home. This will greatly reduce the chances of someone breaking into your Manhattan rentals.

Install an Alarm System- If your apartment does not already have an alarm system installed, speak to your landlord about one. Providing tenants with a safe environment should be at the top of the landlord’s priorities, so you will probably have no trouble convincing him.

Change The Locks- If the locks have not been changed since the last tenant moved out, consider changing them. Keep your keys to yourself as well. Don’t hand them out to your friends or family members.

Find Some Pretend Roommates- There is safety in numbers, but what happens when you are living alone? If this is the case, it is time to play pretend. Invent some roommates for yourself. On your answering machine or voicemail, say “We are not home right now,” and list multiple individuals on your apartment directory. Even though your roommates are not real, they may still provide you with the added protection you need by giving the appearance that you don’t live alone.

Safety and security is important in Manhattan rentals. Make sure your apartment is protected from crime during this holiday season by following these tips.

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