A sense of community, a sense of protection

Friendships can make a neighborhood watch more efficient and effective.

Renters insurance is a safety net used to support clients when the unthinkable happens. Yet for the renter and the insurer, prevention is the truest safeguard.

The key to preventions lies in creating a safe environment in which to live. To do so, it is important to build a sense of community with your neighbors. Tight-knit communities look out for each other, care for one another’s well-being, and they are ultimately safer places to live for everyone involved. Being on friendly terms with your neighbors is an unofficial yet effective form of neighborhood watch:

• When you are familiar with your neighbors and they are familiar with you, both parties will be more readily able to recognize guests and relatives, minimizing the chances that a stranger can enter either property undetected.
• Friends look out for each other, naturally. It isn’t too much to ask a friend to keep an eye out for your home while you’re away, though it may seem uncomfortable to ask that favor of a stranger.
• Have you heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child? That still rings true today. Parents can join forces to supervise children when they are out and about in different parts of the neighborhood, increasing vigilance and minimizing a delayed response to dangerous situations or events.
• Many home care tasks are easier and safer when completed with the assistance of a friend; repairing planks on a deck, removing hazardous overhanging limbs, and other routine maintenance can help to make your rental a safer place for you and your guests.
• When neighbors have a general idea of your routine activities and lifestyle, it is easier to identify suspicious activity in around your rental. This can be as simple as knowing that you don’t own a grill, so a sign of smoke on your property is a red flag.

Whether you are new to the community or you’ve lived there for a while, it is never too late to forge meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with your neighbors.