How to Do a Security Checklist for Commercial Property Management Assets

When you are involved in the management and the leasing of any commercial or retail property, you will understand the importance of security when it comes to tenancy occupancy, and property performance.  There are many challenges involving security today when you consider different tenancy types, property locations, and asset design.

Understand the Property Security Challenges

Here are some of the important issues to action and merge into your security checklist:

1. Property surrounds – review the property in its location looking at the boundaries, the adjoining properties, and factors of threat from the precinct. Nearby properties can pose a significant threat directly or indirectly when it comes to asset performance.
2. Building design – the property itself will have certain strengths and weaknesses that apply in the security sense. Understand the property from both a visitor and a tenant perspective.  How can people move to the property and through the property conveniently and safely?  How can tenants move to the property and occupy their leased space efficiently and securely?
3. Look for existing threats – when you study the tenancy mix you will see certain threats evolving from the tenants in occupation and or the business types. Those threats will need consideration and consultation with a view to minimising risk.
4. Existing Security Systems – review the property and its existing capabilities or limitations when it comes to security. Look at the locks and the master key systems, electronic security, tenancy security, windows, doors, lighting, car parking, and guards or patrols.  Also review the access points and the flow points for people through the property at different times of day.  Some buildings today operate at all hours with both tenants and customers.  Can your building handle the challenge safely and correctly?
5. Communication systems – many tenants today transact sensitive and confidential information constantly as part of their standard business operations. The communication systems within the building will need secure access and secure controls.  Those systems will involve data access, data storage, telephone systems, radio transmissions, and associated cabling.
6. Individual tenants – some tenants create special levels of threat and risk within the property and with other tenants. Responses, procedures and strategies will be required when it comes to specific threats such as bombs, explosion, staff movement, customer access, safety, emergency evacuation, and materials containment.  Consider each tenant individually for the challenges that they present to the building, the investment, the community, the other tenants, and people generally.  Consult with the necessary local authorities if you have tenants of concern.

So this list will help you establish a process of checking and assessment when it comes to property security and property integrity.

You can get more commercial property management tips in our online eCourse ‘Snapshot’.