Property manager: personal safety

If you are a property manager, here are some tips to help keep yourself and your colleagues safe.

Scheduling, planning ahead and knowing your right of entry is important. It is essential to know what you, and the tenant, can and can’t do.

Plan ahead

• Gather information – is there any information that may indicate higher risk?
• Is there a history of aggression/mental health concerns/substance (e.g. drug/alcohol) abuse.
• Consider the nature of the visit - routine, unexpected or poor outcome, eviction.
• Plan your attendance.
  Are other staff or police required?
• Have an agreed emergency phrase that indicates you are in trouble and require police.

Your phone

• Keep your phone charged.
• Consider the geographic coverage of your phone service provider.
• Not all providers offer the same geographic coverage. Check the coverage for the area you work in on the mobile phone provider’s website.
• Set up speed dial to office number/s and emergency numbers.
• Keep calendars updated and accessible to your team.
• Share your live location via your phone or an app.
• Consider installing and using a personal safety or property manager app.

Arrival

• Make safety precautions a habit. This is the best way to keep yourself safe.
• Don’t park where you might get blocked in.
• Look/listen for unusual signs of movement inside and outside the property.
• Keep office/colleagues updated of your arrival and observations/concerns.
• Take your phone with you and have it accessible.
• Check phone reception. If no reception, consider if you are still safe.
• Trust your instincts. Don’t enter if something seems wrong.

Right of entry

S72 Residential Tenancies Act. Agents are permitted to enter properties:

• in an emergency,
• where you have given written or verbal notice or
• in agreement with the tenant.

Aggressive people

• Assess. Remain calm, make others aware, think support e.g. phone apps etc.
• Listen. Listen to their concerns, show interest /reflect back they’ve been heard.
• Respond. Respond, don’t react, stay respectful, keep your voice quiet.
• Space. Keep a safe distance away, use physical barriers to create space.

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