As more and more women enter the workforce in the urban parts of India, the demand for rental homes rises steadily. With expanding career choices and better educational facilities, women professionals as well as students are opting for various kinds of rental accommodation in the cities. However, the issues of safety and security remain the topmost concern for women renters in the city. From the safety of the rented home in particular, to the security of the neighbourhood in general, there are many factors that single women occupants must consider before renting a home.

Here are 6 essential security tips for women living alone in rented accommodation:

1. Pick a safe neighbourhood: To begin with, it’s important to pick a safe neighbourhood. Make sure to read plenty of online reviews to get a sense of the locality. You could also consider making a couple of trips to the locality at various points of the day (and night) to ensure that the local crowd and the residents are respectable and do not pose a threat to your safety. Moreover, the neighbourhood should be a well-lit, well-maintained and well-connected one.

2. Ensure good connectivity and accessibility:Another important thing that you want to ensure is that the locality offers easy access to public transport options and that it is easily accessible from various parts of the city. Whether you’re using cabs to commute or one of the many public transit services, you will want to make sure that your pickup and drop points are easily accessible and safe at all times of the day.

3. Avoid going through brokers:It is not an uncommon practice for brokers to make their way to renters looking for accommodation. However, women who are looking to live alone are better off avoiding brokers and property agents altogether. Instead, it is a much better idea to look for rental homes online. This will also give you the opportunity to read reviews of the accommodation as well as of the locality, and therefore make an informed decision. RentXZ.com is a great platform for this purpose.

4. Hire staff only from authorized agencies: When looking to hire staff for the domestic needs in your accommodation, make sure to go with either reliable references or hire personnel from authorized agencies. In either case, make sure to perform the due diligence in terms of checks and verifications before signing up for their services.

5. Security measures in the residential complex: It is generally a better practice for single women renters to pick an accommodation within a housing society, as opposed to renting a place in a standalone construction. Among the other benefits of access to residential conveniences and lifestyle amenities, there is an added layer of safety and security offered by the complex. Make sure that the society is equipped with security services like CCTV surveillance, intercom facility and gated entry points.

6. Check all the locks:Before you move into your rental home, you will want to do a thorough check to make sure that the locks, latches and grills on the doors and windows are in place. In case any of these fixtures requires repair or replacement, you will want to let your landlord know and have them fixed before moving in. Right after you move in, the first thing that you should do is change the lock to the main door. This is important because there is no way to know how many people have access to the lock on this door, so it’s best to err on the side of caution.

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