Newer tenant is concerned about security--need advice

[Shari Posey]

We have a young single woman who is a tenant in one of our properties who moved in fall 2012. She's a nice tenant and responsible. There was an incident a few nights ago when a big fight broke out on the street in front of the house and in the area. She says her boyfriend opened the door to see if everyone was o.k. and they got threatened. She called 911 but the police just drove by without stopping. (I called the police dept to complain but they have no record of her 911 call and no other neighbhors called. However, I talked to one of the neighbors and they said it was a very loud fight caused by some young people drinking.)

Now she is very nervous and is having a hard time sleeping at night and has asked us to implement some security measures.

I'm not sure what to do as she hasn't lived there long and I'm not sure she is likely to stay no matter what we do. Before she signed the lease, we let her know it is an urban area where incidents do happen. 99% of the time it's very quiet and lots of original owners live there but she experienced that 1% when there is trouble on Friday.

We can install security doors but we have 3 specially sized doors so the cost will be about $800 each. Or we can install an ADT system for about $200 and ask her to pay the monthly fee of $50, or help her pay a portion of it. Or we can ask her if she would prefer to be let out of her lease.

I hesitate to put the security doors on, not only because of the cost but because they are really ugly and our property is really charming. About half the people in the neighborhood have security doors so maybe it's just my own personal dislike of feeling like it's like living in a prison to keep people out.

Any advice? What would you do?

Thanks!

[Jon K.]

My advice to her?

Mind her own business.

Lock the door. Don't go out and but into someone else's problem. Call 911 if hearing screams, and stay in the frickin' house.

Perhaps get a deadbolt lock? A few home security stickers and signs?

Allow her to install, at her cost, a home alarm system with monitoring?

I really don't think it's your problem. She butted into something once. She heard a few drunks one night, and stupidly went outside. Big deal. It sounds like an isolated incident, and drunks aren't usually a threat if you stay i the frickin' house with the doors locked. Welcome to the city, honey.(Ok, I wouldn't tell her in those words, but I also wouldn't install new doors or anything else if the doors are of average quality and not in disrepair. It's not your job to coddle her about city life, imo. She could've and should've checked local crime reports on her own. I wouldn't offer to let her out of a lease. She chose to live there. She heard drunks. She stupidly chose to go confront drunks one night. I wonder if she really even called 911 and if people outside really threatened her/her boyfriend for asking if everyone was okay outside. Am I missing an ongoing confrontation or risk here?)

Is she trying to just get out of her lease after realizing she is, indeed, living in a city? 911 didn't show up, they say they got threatened, and they didn't call 911 again? Could this whole thing be a rib just because she wants to move somewhere else and found this as an easy, cheap/free out? If someone really felt threatened, it seems like they would've called 911 more than once, and there would have been a report of that first call.

She wants security measures? It's called a LOCKED DOOR.

If your door is adequate and standard for a rental, why is she asking you for security features? I wouldn't pay for any of that, nor would I let her out of a lease. I would allow her to pay for her own security alarm if she chooses. She chose the area, should've known crime stats, and didn't lock her door and stay inside. Her fault. How did they get threatened? Are people nearby still threatening her? Did the boyfriend say something other than "is everyone ok out there?" Is the threat on-going?