Renting out your vacation home presents a great opportunity to earn some additional income and help pay the bills while you are out traveling the world or living in your primary home. What a lot of owners forget to think about is what they will do during the off season. When you own a home in popular tourist destinations like San Diego, you will experience a rush during the peak summer months followed by a lull in the off season. While San Diego’s off season is shorter than most destinations, there are still security concerns that should be addressed to ensure your home is safe while no one is living in it, and prepared for when vacationers come knocking. Here are ten strategies for securing your home during the off season.

1. Know Your Neighbors: One of the easiest and friendliest tips for securing a home is to have a good relationship with your neighbors. You may be gone for months at a time, but when you are in town you should make an effort to become friends. When you do have an empty house, your friends will be the ones keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity and it won’t cost you a dime. It’s always good practice to know your neighbors for safety reasons (not to mention, being friends with your neighbors has been shown to be a component of a healthier lifestyle), now you have a good excuse to become even closer with them.
2. Check the House Frequently: Many vacation home owners have a cleaning person who takes care of the house after renters use it, but they should also be responsible for checking up on the house once per week when it’s not being used. Having someone frequent the home will let the neighborhood know it isn’t abandoned, and people won’t get any bad ideas.
3. Close the Curtains: Burglars often won’t break into something they can’t see. Just by closing the curtains you will hide all of the valuables and steer away robbers. It is a small step to take that could save you from a huge headache in the long run.
4. New Window Locks: On that note, many older homes have rusty and non-functioning window locks that any robber can easily break into without causing a ruckus. You might know the very locks that are easy to open because when you locked yourself out of the house you had to break in through that same window. Immediately replace the window locks if they are old, especially if you have broken into your own house through the windows.
5. “Beware of Dog” Sign: No need to go out and buy a security dog; all you need are one or two simple signs that read “Beware of Dog” and scare away any robbers who forgot their doggy treats. Thieves hate dogs and just having the sign will often keep people off your property.
6. Security System: There are a variety of security systems to choose from like a basic alarm or full-blown video surveillance. Something is better than nothing, but a lot of people are that finding low-cost video surveillance systems not only catch the robber in the act, but capture video evidence that can be used to find and arrest the criminal.
7. Keyless Entry System: Traditional locks are usually easy for robbers to pick or break into. If you are planning on using your home as a vacation rental, it might be time to change the locks to a keyless entry system. Unique codes can be generated for every guest and you can even unlock the door from a computer if someone is locked out.
8. Remove “For Rent” Sign: Some people use the home as a vacation rental until they can find a long term renter, meanwhile using a “for rent” sign in the front yard. When you have one of these signs, it tells passersby that the home is empty and ripe for the picking. Don’t even let the idea get into someone’s head that it is empty (and available for a break-in or defacement) by removing the sign in the first place. Your best bet for generating interest in the property is to advertise it online or in print anyway.
9. Motion Sensor and Timer Lights: Lights are a tried and true method for fending off thieves. You can have motion sensor lights outside so anyone creeping around will get a spotlight right on them for all the neighbors to see. You can also operate indoor lights that work on a timer and turn on during dinner time to give the illusion that a family is home.
10. Property Upkeep: The most vandalized properties are the ones that don’t consistently clean up. A dirty, unkempt property gives the impression that the home has been deserted for a while, and robbers or other mischievous folks will easily recognize that as an opportunity to act. Have a gardener keep everything clean and the garden green so it looks like someone has been living there the entire time.