Security checks before you rent a house

The property itself

• Every door: solid frame, no gaps, a lock that turns smoothly with the key you are given.
• Burglary proofing that is fixed, not decorative, on accessible windows.
• At least one bedroom window or door that opens as a fire escape.
• Confirmation that locks are changed between tenants, and who still holds keys.

The compound and street

• Gate arrangement after dark: who closes it, and is anyone on duty?
• Working lights over the entrance, parking and walkways.
• Whether security is paid from the service charge and what that covers.
• How far the street is from a main road, and how it feels on foot at night.

Ask the neighbours

Neighbours answer this better than agents. Ask two people what has happened on the street in the last year, and whether the security arrangement actually works.