Tenants reporting their cars broken into - LL responsible?

Question

Hello everyone,

I have a SFR rental in Seattle near a university with students as the renters. The house is on hill overlooking the street which runs parallel to the freeway so one side of the street has houses and the other side does not. The street is also a thorough way for pedestrians and other cars that want to avoid ~5-10 blocks of traffic. The attached garage is located in the back of the house, accessible by a one-lane street running parallel to the main street.

Recently, and by recently I mean in the last 6 months,  of the 5 tenants living at the rental, 2 have had their cars broken into and a mutual friend had their car stolen. Mail has also been tampered with twice. I would say this area is probably a B+ neighborhood and by no means dangerous.

My question to everyone is, do I need to address this issue of car-prowlers or is it something the tenants should be responsible for? One of the break-ins occurred because the tenant forgot her backpack in her car. I know the landlord should be responsible for providing a safe and secure property, but how far does that extend beyond doors with locks/deadbolts, lockable windows, etc?

I look forward to hearing your inputs!

Account Closed · Answer

This is why people have auto insurance.

Nancy Neville

John Thedford · Answer

Though not your responsibility, there is a law firm in Florida advertising something to the effect "have you been a crime victim when shopping or? Did the property owner KNOW there were issues and failed to provide a safe environment?" The company is morgan & morgan...and their slogan is "for the people". Bottom line: if your tenants become crime victims YOU could become the victim of a sleazy law firm looking to line their pockets at your expense. I would consider adding security lighting and possibly video cameras to help prevent future issues AND to protect you from some attorneys that may want to make a few bucks off of you. When you hear an attorney state they are out for "justice"...you have it all wrong. Attorneys are out for "JUST US".  They EARNED their reputation. Not only do you have to protect yourself from crime, deadbeat tenants, etc...you have to protect yourself from some of these guys as well. The cost of a few cameras and lights is nothing compared to what it could cost to defend a suit for "negligence".

Michele Fischer · Answer

Edward, I am familiar with that area, our car kept getting broken into over 20 years ago.  If I were you I would install surveillance cameras like the ones we see at Costco if you have a tenant willing to deal with it, they are very cheap nowadays.  The carport storage units at one of our properties have been broken into several times.  We disclose that to tenants and give them extra strength locks.  It is possible to take small steps to improve the situation or peace of mind, without taking on the full burden or cost of the issue.

Melissa Melia · Answer

Hi @Edward Seid.  Sorry to hear about the issues your property is experiencing.  I can guess the area you're in, and we manage a property nearby that has seen graffiti for the first time in recent months (although no break-ins).  Otherwise, it's a nice, in-demand area.

Some leases contain language around 'acts of third parties' which inform the tenant something to the effect of; the owner has acted in good faith to secure the property, however, it's not a guarantee of your safety from acts of third parties, and personal safety and security are tenant's responsibility, etc.  If you don't have a lease in place which speaks to this specifically, it may be a good idea, given your concerns.

Alexander Merritt · Answer

@Edward Seid I agree with everyone else that you are not responsible for the car break in. However, if I were you, I would certainly start looking into what is going on. Speak with the local police department and see if there is any type of neighborhood watch and talk with them. The police should be able to tell you if they have seen an increase in reports for your area. You can ask them if they can send some patrols around the area for the next week or so. That my scare off the burglar. Check online and see if you have a "crime map" for your area.

A very cheap way to address the problem... One thing that I found is that if you put up Home Security Alarm stickers (like ADT) then that alone can deter criminals even if you don't have an actual system. They see the sticker and think... hmm this house has an alarm but the one next door doesn't.

You might also consider actually installing a home security system and some exterior motion detector lights. Not only will it make your tenants feel more secure, but you can probably pass along the cost of the monitoring as well as charge a little more rent for that "feature."

Jeremiah Vick · Answer

Really depends on whether negligence can be proven. For instance my car was stolen recently from my landlords lot. The lot has/had a significant amount of dead light fixtures to the point where you couldn't see 10feet in front of the building. If crime is regular in the area and you know about it but decide not to replace the bulbs even though you are asked by many residents you could potentially be liable due to negligence. Also there is a big difference from stating that you won't provide "security lighting" and just providing regular outdoor lighting for visibility. Security lighting would not be required per law/lease but without basic lighting for visibility it can create crime on a property even in a relatively safe area and this is well known in the realestate, architecture, and construction industry. For instance, a location with dead lighting I spoke to my landlord about had gunshots fired in the unlit area about two weeks later.... If someone had gotten hurt after I said something they likely could have been facing a seperate lawsuit. Short story maintain what you have when they sign the lease don't wait three months to fix a potential safety issues....

Suhendri U. · Answer

If i have the same problem, I would:

1. Install censor-sensitive floodlight.

2. Install camera (real one).

3. Keep reporting to local police so they pay more attention to your area (hopefully).

4. If things get more serious, consider talking to landlords/managements of surrounding area, if they have same issue, host a meeting to address the issue. This could mean come up with night watch, or even paying police or private security.

Jeff G. · Answer

Its not your fault they decided to move to a bad part of town.... kidding, but its not your problem.

Tenants reporting their cars broken into - LL responsible?

Most Popular Reply