Tampa Property Management Tip #12 - Getting Rid of Unwanted People Walking through a Multi-family Complex

We current manage about 8 duplexes located on a small dead-in street. The challenge develops because of people cutting through our property, walking behind the buildings into a vacate lot that ends at the next street over. There is a steady stream of undesirable people using this route as a way to save time getting to the next street.

Our Tampa property management company manages 8 duplexes located on a small dead-in street in a low income area. Obviously they are trespassing on our property and the vacate lot adjacent to the next street.

The neighborhood is not the best and is predominately working class/Section 8 residents. We are having problems with people dealing drugs in our cul-de-sac, fights, and even stabbings. This of course makes it very difficult to rent our vacate units not to mention causes most of our current tenants to want to move out.

This no-win situation is an opportunity if we can just find a way to eliminate this unwanted traffic. The owners purchased the property at a phenomenal price.

We decided to install 6 foot privacy fences between three buildings. The fence connects all three buildings and eliminate any walk way to the back of the property which leads to the vacate lot and the next street. We are hoping this will encourage people to cut throw the adjacent dead-in streets on either side of us. These types of people are inherently lazy and this should work.

Long-term we will install fences around the entire property and in each yard. This will give additional security to each resident’s home as well as provide a sense of privacy.

There are always possible solutions even in the most impossible situations for Tampa property management companies that spend the time to really think through the problem.