I've tried lots of different methods, but one really works. When I was at a friends auto shop, I noticed he had two new guard dogs. He older dog was too old to leave outside all day long and was retired. So a light bulb in my head went off. I asked the owner about his older dogs training. This dog gets set off when people come inside the fenced gate and when he barks and the person get previous, has an adrenaline surge or runs, then the dog attacks.

I wanted to adopt the dog on the spot, but instead agreed to take the dog every day to the dog park. Feed him prime choice dog food and spend 30 minutes when I drop it inside my rental with a heated blanket, dry food and water. Putting down dog pads in an area.

On the second night, the neighbors had to call the police because the squatter that broke into the house was screaming bloody murder. The dog grabbed onto him and would not let go. Toying with him.

The police asked what the hell was I thinking having a killer guard dog when children could have broken into my home. I told the police that this is a German Sheppard and not a Pitt-bull.

I said probably the squatter didn't see the dog and went after it's food. That's one thing the dog won't stand for, someone steeling it's food.

This might not work in this case NOW if the word in the squatter community now are aware of things,..but maybe.

I remember that some thieves were interviewed that when they were going to break in at night to what they thought were and occupied home.if they perceived a TV on,.it didn't bother them nearly as if a radio was playing. The knew that with the TV on, someone would be in that room,.but a radio on really unnerved them,..,.they said they didn't know who was in the unit or where they might be hat most of these interviewed burglars would move on to another place..you can get old functional radios for a couple of bucks from Goodwiil ,Salvation Army stores ,tag sales etc...

of course in multi units you have to set it so it doesn't disturb others but maybe it would be a tool for some of you for certain applications,..I used that before I had an a alarm system, and well I never was robbed but I don't know in my case I was just luckly,.the alarm system made more since in my home because it was a fire alarm also and reduced my home owner ins as much as I paid for the system,

There are also barking dog gizmo's that react to sounds of breakins

Hire a security company to patrol multiple times a day and check your property for break-ins. Once they find it, immediately get the vagrants stuff removed and secure it back up. You might consider having a welder come build a sturdy metal cage that will be much harder to break in as a further deterrent.

My vote is for a dog.

Do you have an alarm in there?

Simplisafe has a shrieking alarm that will go off when someone enters, and then they will call you and ask if you need police to respond.

After that happens a few times, you might see some results.

DJ,

I can tell you did not grow up in a crime area. You need tougher hasps and locks. You need to step up the physical security.

I suggest the puck lock with brackets they use to secure truck doors.

Or bigger screws, or bolts, and thicker plywood to seal up that building.

Our trick is to hang blinds, paint the plywood black, and mount it on the inside of the window. From the street the windows look occupied and the city does not complain about the blight of boarded up windows.

Out of sight, out of mind is huge.

SimpliSafe systems are $100 on ebay. All you need is the basic system plus a few motion sensors aimed at entry point and hallways, and 108 db sirens. We have 4 systems in place protecting our shop, storage, and flips.

For $24 a month they will automatically call the police for you. When the police show up they can arrest TRESPASSERS who tripped an alarm. Avoids the “long termers” who have moved in and must be evicted.

No internet or wifi needed for SimpliSafe. Ring requires wifi.

Do NOT try to roust squatters yourself. They have guns, might be high, more people, and are HIGHLY motivated to keep their bed.

Even the police are trained that clearing a building is one of the most dangerous thing they do - unknown layout, unknown people, unknown mental state, ambush...

Dogs- throw them some meat with a little poison and wait an hour.

John, no electricity, no problem!

In my never humble opinion, spending the night with a shotgun is a VERY bad idea. If you shoot an intruder, you will be charged with murder (attempted murder with a deadly weapon). Expect to pay $100,000 minimum in attorney's fees, plus bail fees, and to spend some time in jail.

"Why were you sleeping in that empty property?"

"You were there trying to catch anyone breaking in, right?"

"Why did you bring a shotgun with you?

"You were hoping to shoot and kill any intruder as a warning to others, right?"

"You were hoping to kill someone, right?"

"You wanted to kill whoever you could just as a warning to other homeless people, right?"

"You were making yourself the judge, jury and executioner, right?"

Don't do it. Even though it is tempting!

USCCA doesn't insure people in NY. I had them at one point but they kept collecting my premiums after they decided to end coverage in NY

John,

So activate the elec service. You will want some lights on for buyers anyway.

Police responding to an alarm gets action (they LOVE to turn on the siren and run!) and removal of TRESPASSERS. Police responding to a phone complaint about SQUATTERS will get no where when they tell you "It's a civil matter - must evict."

BTW Take the alarm system with you when you sell. Use it to protect other properties or sell it.

Does the door open inward?

Use two 2x6 across the door and drill them into the wooden walls using four inch screws.

You would be placing these boards on the inside of the door - not the outside.

OK I'm also reminded of something else that may be a tool,.. assuming you have power to the unit.

Years ago my brother in law was pres of a new small club, someone/s kept breaking in, The club didn't have much for funds and spent quite a bit to fix doors and other things in the building due to the break ins.

This was a few years ago and other anti thieve things were not as common as now.

I suggested maybe trying this, ..mounting a outdoor double flood light.motion sensor unit up high as possible. and a light in one side,.and put a socket plug in the other,..plug in a good extension cord and then to a flood lamp away from the motion sensor one, maybe on other side of the room, and maybe branch off to another flood bulb ,again away from the others, ..and from that branch an old instant on radio tuned to a 24 hour station turned up as loud as possible.

The point being that at night when the lights come on,..its very confusing what turned them on and a bit dazzling,..and how to get at things to turn it off.also in the quiet at night, (assuming that's when they are breaking in) Even a slightly loud radio sounds VERY loud,.

Several lights on,..a distant radio away from the bulbs,.are very confusing,..the bad guys don't know how to turn them off at least rt away.

In this case the club made a deal with a neighbor that if that noise was heard,.to call the police,..(a tenant or two in the building.)

I always say to a tenant that these break ins are expensive and we are trying to reduce expenses like this so we don't have to raise rental rates,..that seems of cause more co operation as they feel it has a possible impact to them,..)

.

We even had a outside light hooked up that shown from the front to the building ,..IF you use LED flood light bulbs which you should,..the wattage stays low,.only a fraction of the old floodlite bulbs,.most radios also draw very little

Make sure the extension cords are new and perhaps tape them so they don't move or are loose in the motion sensor socket plug and where the plugs branch off,..

After setting this up we sent a couple of the club member guys in and they said they were totally shocked, dazzled, and confused to what to do.

So it didn't stop the initial damage from a break in,..but after a few times it stopped them trying and nothing was taken from the club,.

I believe now they have more money and probably now have a commercial system but I know they kept this one up for several years,.

er in re reading this maybe a few better wording,..

like we are trying to keep expenses down,so we can keep rents down, as much as possible (?)

And also "We even had a outside light hooked up that shown from the front to the building" that ,..should be,... OF THE BUILDING,..again maybe ,a simple LED flood mounted high as possible,..in the club which was a separate building it also showed the neighbor that the noise was coming from that building.

John,

Your SimpliSafe would have called the police and led to an arrest while you stayed warm and snug in your bed.

Possible although they may have stolen the base unit or destroyed it for simply safe, then come back after the noise stopped. Assumming it made noise, they wouldnt be there for the police. Unfortunately I can't get the power on right now for that unit cause the last tenant racked up a large bill, so power company took the meter which here requires a permit to replace and electrical upgrades. Since I am selling the unit, I don't plan on ever having power to that unit. So simply safe wouldn't be practical in this case. I did frame in the door way today, removing the door so unless someone removes alot of security screws, they can't kicked it in. We will see if they now try to start breaking windows.