No matter what Halloween looks like for your tenants this year — whether they will be greeting trick-or-treaters or leaving a bowl of candy on the porch to minimize personal contact — your property will likely get increased foot traffic. More visitors can mean additional risks to your rental, but there are a few steps you can take to make sure you’re prepared. 

Here are nine Halloween safety tips to help protect your property and its visitors.

1. Clear walkways and sidewalks of leaves and debris

Make sure any areas where trick-or-treaters tromp — including your sidewalk, driveway and walkways — are clear of debris, especially if it’s slick outside. It’s also a good idea to tie up and stow any garbage cans or bins. Establish some Halloween rules by reminding your residents to keep decorations on the lawn or away from the doorway to prevent visitors from tripping. Other tripping hazards might include hoses, outdoor toys and furniture, potholes, and loose paving stones.

2. Check trees for dead branches

Stormy weather can cause smaller (though sometimes larger) tree branches to split and fall off, so be sure to make sure the branches are secure if people are going to be walking below your property’s trees. (It’s a good Halloween safety tip that’s probably already on your fall maintenance checklist.)

3. Install nonslip treads on outdoor steps

Cumbersome costumes and swinging bags of candy can be a recipe for a bad fall as trick-or-treaters navigate your steps. Prevent tripping by installing non-slip stair treads and securing your railings. Spending a few dollars at the hardware store is a good investment if it keeps the neighborhood kids safe.

4. Double-check the lights

Before the big night arrives, test the exterior lights and replace any burned-out bulbs. Light up stairways, pathways, side alleys, parking lots, and front and back lawns so everyone can see where they’re going. Add solar lights along pathways to brighten dark areas, and consider motion sensor lights to deter tricksters in the neighborhood who are looking to create mischief.

5. Limit access to unauthorized areas

The risk of vandalism and theft goes up on Halloween, most likely due to a combination of increased pedestrian activity around your neighborhood and the holiday’s association with trickery. Remind your residents to close and lock exterior doors, garages, gates and windows so they won’t be easy targets for criminal activity.

6. Ask residents to be mindful of pets

Unfamiliar visitors, knocking and doorbells, plus the general increase in activity, can make pets nervous. Prevent pet escapes or aggressive behavior by reminding your residents to either keep their pets away from the front door or secure them in a safe room.

7. Remind residents about fire safety

Halloween is a good time to remind residents about your policies for open flames on the property and for you to check the smoke detectors — especially as the weather gets chilly. Candles, jack-o’-lanterns and luminarias are fun seasonal decorations, but they can also be easily overturned. An inexpensive, battery-operated candle or glow stick looks just as good in a pumpkin but without the risk.

8. Offer a free bowl of candy

Not only does leaving out a bowl of candy mean keeping the festivity of the holiday while limiting personal contact, it has another perk: it can make a vacant unit look occupied. Just remember to flip on the front porch light. For a small investment in sugar, your tenants may be able to thwart pranksters or disappointed revelers who were expecting a different kind of treat.

9. Inspect the property in the morning

With tricks, treats and heavy foot traffic, you should be extra vigilant and prepared to address any problems that might occur on Halloween night. You or your property manager should confirm that your property is damage-free and clean up any messes made by overnight mischief-makers.

This article was originally published on October 5, 2016.