In a presentation at the 2017 ESA Leadership Summit entitled “Burglary Victim Adaptation & What Security Businesses Should Know,” Kristie R. Blevins, associate professor in the School of Justice Studies in the College of Justice and Safety at Eastern Kentucky University, shared this information from a study she was a part of, which was designed to better understand burglars as well as burglary victims.

In this study, one of the questions respondents were asked was, “What is the primary reason you do not have a burglar alarm?” Significantly, nearly 43 percent listed the fact that they are renting as the primary reason they have no alarm system. This could be an opportunity for security dealers looking to break into the rental market with non-traditional solutions such as wireless, portable systems.

“While we don’t know the exact connection between renting and not having an alarm,” Blevins said, “it could be that some renters do not realize there are wireless systems that could be installed without structural changes that would violate the lease/result in loss of security deposit.”