There’s a lot to love about Darwin in summer, from the gorgeous sunsets to the balmy beach days. But if you’re a tenant and you’re heading away for Christmas, or at any other time during the wet season, you’ll want to protect your home from the other big thing Darwin summers are known for: the rain.
Summer in Darwin is the wet season, which means an onslaught of frequent and often torrential rain, wind and storms, and sometimes even cyclones. While these forces of nature can be beautiful to witness, they also pose a risk to your home, especially if you’re not around to act in case of an emergency.
That’s why we’ve compiled this list of essentials you need to know, so you can protect your home while you’re away. We’ll cover how tenants can risk-manage the wet season and we’ll also give a couple of security tips that you’ll find useful whether you travel this summer or at any other time of year.
Protect your home from humidity
The wet, humid weather characteristic of the wet season provides the perfect environment for mould to grow in your home. The most important measure you can take is ventilation. You can protect your home by leaving ceiling and pedestal fans on for the duration of your absence to optimise ventilation in your home. There are also products like Damp Rid that can help to absorb moisture from the air.
We don’t recommend leaving windows open, even on upper floors, due to the security and rain-damage risks this would pose. If mould does develop while you’re away, you as the tenant are responsible for cleaning it.
Protect your home from cyclones
There are a number of additional precautions you can take to protect your home while you’re away during the wet season. This is particularly important as it’s likely your home will take a heavy beating from strong, unpredictable winds and potentially cyclones. The last thing you want is to come home to a damaged property.
- Move all furniture and freestanding plants out of balconies, patios and gardens and into somewhere more protected. This could be a shed, or just inside your home if your property doesn’t have a shed. If you can’t move certain items, ensure that what’s left is securely tied down.
- Secure all doors, windows and pet entries and fix any cracks or closure issues as soon as possible. Where appropriate, you can report these to your property manager to have them fixed.
- Turn off any electricals that operate on standby, as well as your hot water system and washing machine taps.
Protect your home from theft
The wet season likely won’t deter would-be thieves from breaking into your property while you’re away. It’s important to take security measures to ensure your home is protected and your belongings stay secure.
Recruit a friend
A housesitter, or even a neighbour, can help deter would-be thieves and protect your home. One of the easiest ways they can do this is by removing the mail that builds up in your mailbox because this is an indicator of an empty home. It’s even better if they can park their car in your driveway to project an obvious outward sign of life on the property. Doing so would discourage anyone who may be scoping out your home for a later break-in.
Be mindful of potential entry points
Your front door isn’t the only entry point into your home — neither are your backdoor, side doors and ground floor windows. Thieves can access your property through second and third-floor windows and balcony doors too. Think you’re safe in an apartment? Think again. No matter what floor you live on, your home is prone to breaking and entering.
Thieves are crafty, so when it comes to protecting your home, you have to be crafty too. Cover all the basics like securing every door, window and other possible entry points like pet doors — no matter how out of reach they may seem. Then look at your property and identify any features that may inadvertently aid would-be thieves.
Have you got overgrown trees blocking the street view of your home? That could give a thief the privacy they need to break in unnoticed. Have you secured your kerbside bins up against a wall of your home? Thieves could use your bins to access second-story windows and balconies to break in. Identifying and addressing issues such as these is an important, proactive step you can take to protect your home this wet season.
Keep your property manager informed
Before you go on your holiday, make sure you’ve informed your property manager of the dates you’ll be away. You can also give them permission to enter in the event of an emergency. If you notice any issues with your property before you go, especially ones that may turn into bigger problems with the wet and windy weather — like leaks — make sure you report them to your property manager with a few week’s notice. We use Tapi to make the maintenance report process easy.
Protect your home this summer
For the protection of your home, and for your peace of mind, we encourage tenants to make sure they’re taking every possible measure this wet season. If you’re one of our tenants and you’re looking for extra guidance on protecting your home while you’re away this Christmas, please contact us, we’re happy to help.