AC stolen - how to protect from happening again?

Question

I just did a pre-construction walk through on a property I purchased a few months ago. The house had been broken into and the indoor and outdoor AC units are gone :( The outdoor unit was even in a cage, given that it's not a class A neighborhood, but they just sliced it open. The property was vacated on June 1st, and when I did a walk through two weeks ago, everything was in order. My question is, given that every property will likely have some periods of vacancy, how do you protect the outdoor AC unit from being stolen?

(Side note: I'm "lucky" the property has aluminum wiring, because they climbed up into the attic to try to remove the wiring from the house, but apparently realized that it wasn't copper and just removed a small section)

Account Closed · Answer

@Rivy S. Sorry to hear this happened - I worked security in Dallas for a few years - depending on what "not class A neighborhood" you are in, as John said there may not be much to do. Some of the locations we worked in, the client instructed us to leave all doors on their company vehicles unlocked, so that if someone was going to take the stereo they would do so without breaking a window! I don't have a specific suggestion for the AC besides looking into beefier security options - as you may know, there is no way to fully protect any asset, if someone really wants it they will take it eventually. The best practice is to make it such a hassle to take the item, that the person will move on to an easier, safer target. You can find cheap motion-activated security lights, loud audible alarm systems, perhaps a harder to cut cage for the AC unit - I'd get as many barriers to taking your item as you can, and hope they might just grab the one next door instead - why take yours with the lights, cage, alarm etc. when there's a vacant house around the corner with nothing - this is often the best that can be done in my experience. But yes depends on the neighborhood too - some places I worked people did not care who saw what - can still try to make it a pain for them though as a deterrent.

Rivy S. · Answer

Account Closed It's not in Oak Cliff, it's in 75241.  I thought it wasn't as rough but maybe I'm wrong.    So what do ppl do in Oak Cliff, or really tough neighborhoods? Just make sure they have insurance, and expect it to be stolen? I'm really thankful that my insurance is going to cover this, although even the deductible is a hit to my budget.

For now, we're not going to replace it until just before a tenant moves in, but I'm unsure of how to handle future vacancies.

Account Closed · Answer

@Rivy S. If it was me, I would investigate what the cost of a physical barrier, like a thicker cage made of harder metal, would be. More than once I have seen someone break the window of a car and drive away with the alarm still going off, headlights flashing and everything - someone like this will not care that you installed a security light, they may not even notice - but they will certainly notice a very hard to cut through cage around the AC, and if it takes them a long time to cut through they will hopefully leave it alone - in very bad areas I have noticed that people do not care so much about making a scene, but they are still lazy and do not want to spend the time to cut through your defenses when again they can keep looking for an easier target. I'm not familiar with your area but of course people can come from nearby bad areas. One benefit of being in a better area is the neighbors will be more likely to take notice, call police etc. and this often is not the case in particularly bad places - so if you are in a better area, an alarm and security lights will be more effective than a bad area.

There are different types of metal of course, and I'd imagine that cheap cages are made of cheap, easy to cut through metal (just like cheap locks) so that is where I'd start my search if it was me, see if I can find a physical barrier that is good and see what the price is and start weighing options. For instance if you can find a hard to cut through cage, and then add a security light and mount it high, see if there's some kind of alarm you can rig to go off as soon as someone messes with the cage, this will at least deter a lot of people - plus the thief is more likely to get someone's attention if the cage is hard to cut and they have to spend more time with an alarm going off the whole time. Or like you said, might be easiest to have insurance cover it and not mess with it - I'm not sure how the numbers would work out.

edit: I do agree with Luc though - fake (and even real) cameras can be cheap, as can the motion lights - security should be done with multiple layers and not just one item. Would look at getting better cage, plus a light, etc.

Ken Lyons · Answer

I agree, and I feel for your frustration.  If someone really wants something, no security measure works 100%.   Here's a YouTube video I found that shows security lights/cameras are not as effective as we law abiding citizens may think I also agree that a layered approach may be necessary, especially in the worst of areas. It's very rare that thieves go thru the extra effort of stealing a caged a/c unit.

Cages work the majority of the time.  Custom cages can require long lead times and may be cost prohibitive, The more attractive (less like bars) the cage is, the less buyers/tenants may question the neighborhood.  Hedges need plenty of clearance.  Fences are very easily cut, of provide a barrier to hide behind while the crime is being committed.  Cameras record and alarms sound but in the second the lines are cut, damage is already done.  Every option has pros and cons.  I would make sure you include a physical deterrent that is designed with routine condenser maintenance in mind like an AC-Guard. I would also recommend bolt-cutter proof locks too.

Vivek Khoche · Answer

@Rivy S.- Great discussion, tells you about the neighborhood and your decision to buy. Smart PM remove most of the moving pieces and board the property. Some folks put sign for trespassing and inform the nearby police station so that cops have extra rounds near property. Lastly PM just smiled and said yes it happens and welcome to world of REI.

Not sure how you bought and how much you paid, I am guessing your upfront losses are way higher. Try selling the property and see what kind of offers you get.

Good Luck Investing

Vivek

Payman A. · Answer

I did some research and came up with what Luc mentioned above.  I also think lights and cameras (fake or not) are among the best and least costly deterrents.  I had window units that kept getting stolen and I finally got  my management to remove them during vacancies.  G/L and let us know if you come up with or find anything effective.

Joseph B. Davisson · Answer

I have heard of owners setting J-Bolts in the cement pad when an outdoor compressor is placed and then drilling holes in the bottom of the unit where the bolts come up from the pad so that the unit can be bolted to the pad from the inside.

Luc Boiron · Answer

@Rivy S. Good motion sensor lighting makes a big difference - might not want to be cutting a cage directly with a bright light shining on you.

Consider buying some fake surveillance cameras. They're pretty cheap. You can get one with a blinking red light so it looks like it's recording. This will help deter people from doing this again.

AC stolen - how to protect from happening again?

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