How to Secure Your Manufactured Home from Theft

How to Secure Your Manufactured Home from Theft

Property crime in America during the pandemic dropped to levels not seen since 1960. That statistic should hardly be surprising, given the fact the vast majority of us were stuck at home. Of course, it is likewise logical that the property crime rate has ticked up over the past two years.

No one knows for sure what the future holds, but it is always a safe bet to take whatever precautions are necessary to protect your residence and property. That is even more important for owners of manufactured homes, whose units tend to be more vulnerable to theft compared with traditional housing. Here are a few timely tips to help you protect your unit and the belongings within.

Lock It Up: The easiest way to prevent theft in your manufactured home is to lock your doors and windows when you leave, whether it’s for a few minutes or a few days. Unfortunately, standard door locks may not be enough to deter experienced thieves. The solution is to invest in a single-cylinder dead bolt lock, backed by a reinforcing strike plate with three-inch screws. The dead bolt should be at least one inch thick and extend at least one inch into the door frame when locked.

Slide to Safety: Sliding doors and windows can present a special security challenge, as thieves have become adept at bypassing a dowel or pipe in the slider track by simply lifting the doors or windows out of their slide channels. You can help prevent this by tightening adjustment screws to eliminate “play” in a door or window or, better yet, buying a bolt lock.

Key to Theft Prevention: It seems odd to have to note this in the 21^st century, but some homeowners still leave a spare key outside their unit for convenience’s sake. They suffer under the delusion the key is “hidden” – truth is, thieves know all the places to look. The solution? Leave a duplicate set of keys with a trusted neighbor or friend.

Let There Be Light: Knowing that thieves prefer to operate under the cloak of darkness, it is essential homeowners keep all entryways, pathways, stairwells, porches, yards and parking areas well lit. Mount lights up high on your unit so thieves can’t easily unscrew lightbulbs. You also can enhance your security and cut your electric bill by installing a motion detector on outside lights. Finally, keep tree branches and shrubs trimmed away from your manufactured home to eliminate potential hiding places.

Use Your Illusion: There are things you can do to make your unit look lived in even in your absence. You can have a trusted neighbor pick up your mail and newspapers; arrange for someone to cut the grass or shovel the snow; or ask a neighbor to park a car in your driveway. Use timed switches on your lights, TV and stereo so that they turn on and off randomly, rather than on a set schedule. Turn your telephone ringer down or off; this way a burglar is less likely to hear the ringing of unanswered calls and realize no one is home.

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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.