International

Crime Free Association

Keep Illegal Activity  Off Rental Property
 
Crime Free Programs
  • Crime Free Multi-Housing
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  • Crime Free Hotel-Motel
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Crime Free Rental Housing

Keep Illegal Activity Off Rental Property


Crime Free Rental Housing Program

Increasingly, law enforcement finds that crime problems often migrate from apartment communities to condominium rentals and then to single family home rentals. This is especially true for organized crime, marijuana growers, methamphetamine labs, and gang activity. These criminals prefer the privacy, extra storage, and absence of daily on-site property management.

These private landlords soon find that the problems associated with serious criminal activity are beyond their ability to control. It cannot be solved by law enforcement intervention alone because of landlord-tenant and privacy laws. To solve the problem it requires a community-based solution like the Crime Free Rental Housing Program.

The Crime Free Rental Housing Program is a, state-of-the-art, crime prevention program designed to reduce crime, drugs, and gangs on small rental properties.

What is the Crime Free Rental Housing Program?

The program consists of three phases that is completed under the supervision of the local law enforcement. Homeowners and property managers can become individually certified after completing training in each phase and the property becomes certified upon successful completion of all three phases.

Rental Housing Program Benefits:

  • A stable, more satisfied tenant base
  • Increased demand for rental units with a reputation for active management
  • Lower maintenance and repair costs
  • Increased property values
  • Improved personal safety for tenants, landlords, and managers
  • Reduced exposure to civil liability

Here is a brief outline of the program contents:

Phase I – Property Owner or Manager Training (8-Hours) Taught by the Police

  • Crime Prevention Theory
  • CPTED Theory (Physical Security)
  • Benefits of Resident Screening
  • Lease Agreements and Eviction Issues
  • Crime Free Lease Addendum
  • Key Control and Master Key Use
  • On-Going Security Management Monitoring and Responding to
  • Criminal Activity
  • Gangs, Drugs Activity, and Crime Prevention
  • Legal Warnings, Notices & Evictions Working Smarter With the
  • Police Fire and Life Safety Training Community Awareness
  • A 100-page resource manual is supplied with additional handouts.

Phase II - CPTED Survey by the Police

  • Crime Prevention through Environmental Design Survey (CPTED)
  • Minimum door, window, and lock standards compliance inspection
  • Minimum exterior lighting standards evaluation
  • Key Control procedures evaluation
  • Landscape maintenance standards compliance

Phase III - Crime Free Commitment

  • Landlords make a written crime free commitment
  • Commit to proper tenant screening - use minimum screening criteria
  • Commit to having their tenants sign and abide by a crime free lease addendum
  • Commit to maintaining their property (CPTED) security criteria
  • Commit to properly checking their properties regularly (inside and out, at least once every 2 months)
  • Commit to notifying the neighbors of their rental and their name, phone # and address
  • Commit to working with police and other agencies
  • Commit to being re-certified annually

Benefits of certification

  • Increased property values
  • Less money lost due to failure to pay rent
  • Reduced repair and maintenance costs
  • Increased demand for their rental
  • More time for routine management and life as opposed to dealing with crises

Costs of Drug Activity

When drug criminals and other destructive tenants operate out of rental property, neighborhoods suffer and landlords pay a high price. That price may include:
  • Decline in property values -- particularly when the activity begins affecting the reputation of the neighborhood
  • Property damage arising from abuse, retaliation, or neglect; property damage from police raids
  • Fire resulting from manufacturing or growing operations
  • Civil penalties, including temporary closure of the property -- or even property seizure Loss of rent during the eviction and repair periods
  • Fear and frustration when dealing with dangerous and threatening tenants Increased resentment and anger between neighbors and property managers

Decreased Exposure to Civil Liability

  • Improved safety for owners, managers, and tenants
  • Closer partnership with the police and other agencies
  • Reduced risk of crime and personal injury
  • Reduced police calls for service
  • Increased safety due to prevention

A list of certified landlords will be kept by kept by the law enforcement agency and could be distributed to the property managment community and Chamber of Commerence.


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International Crime Free Association
Attn: Timothy L. Zehring
PO Box 1146
Higley, AZ 85236

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