The holiday season is here, and for many of us that means traveling to visit family and friends. During the chaos typical of the season, it's important to prioritize properly preparing your rental for when you are away to avoid break-ins or damage.

To help keep your rental as secure as possible, we've compiled a list of tips to prevent any mishaps while you are away! Not leaving? You can still use these tips every day to keep your rental and belongings safe.

Protect Your Home

• Lock your doors and windows. While this tip may seem obvious, it can be easy to forget to lock up before leaving. For those with code locks, ensure your door is completely shut and secure before leaving. For those of you with keys, make sure your door is locked. Check each window in your house to ensure they're all closed and secure. 

• Prevent your pipes from freezing and do not turn off the heat—set it to 55 degrees and open cabinet doors. While turning off your heat while you're away may seem like a good idea to save money, it can cause serious damage to your rental if your pipes freeze! Make sure your thermostat is set for 55 degrees or higher to keep your pipes from freezing in the winter. It is also a good idea to leave your faucets dripping and to open cabinet doors to circulate warm air. Check out our blog for more tips!

• Secure your valuables. Make sure all of your valuables are out of sight if you are not bringing them with you. Do not leave them near windows through which someone could peek. Close all curtains and blinds to prevent anyone from seeing your belongings. 
  
  
• Unplug electronics and turn off lights. Unplugging your devices protects your home and your property against electrical accidents like surges. You can also save on your electric bill by shutting the lights off. Make sure to leave essential appliances like refrigerators plugged in.

• Secure your garage and car(s). If your property has a garage, ensure that the door is shut and that it can't be accessed in your absence. If you are leaving a vehicle, make sure it is locked and doesn't contain any valuables. Besides being a way to prevent theft, electronic devices exposes to the cold for long periods in cars could also break. Leaving a vehicle in the driveway can also make it seem like you are home, which deters criminals from attempting to enter!

• Don't publicize your departure. Letting non-essential individuals know when you will be gone can open yourself up to the possibility of being robbed while you are away. Only let those who you trust know when you will be gone. Refrain from posting about your trip until after you have returned, as social media posts can be spread the news that you are not home.

• Let MiddleTown know if you're leaving for longer than a month. Units may be considered abandoned if they are left for long periods of time per your lease.

If you're having any trouble with securing your rental, such as a broken lock or jammed window, please let MiddleTown know as soon as possible. Issues with entry are considered emergencies. If they happen after hours, please contact our emergency maintenance line at 765-587-0280.

If the unfortunate happens and your rental is damaged while you are away, please let us know as soon as possible so that our maintenance technicians can assist with repairs. Make sure to always call the police first in any emergency situation, such as break-ins.