Safety and Loss Control Trends and Tips for Habitational Property Owners

March 25, 2025

By Kenneth Bogdan, Eric Voight, and Maxx Hofmann

Inflation, rising property values and natural disasters have had a significant impact on the habitational real estate market. All these factors have caused a hardening of the insurance market with higher premiums, stricter underwriting standards and more limited and restrictive coverage. As carriers continue to heavily scrutinize habitational insurance coverage, commercial residential property owners need to take a renewed focus on their safety and loss control strategies to ensure they are proactively protecting their property and residents.

How Property Owners Can Mitigate Common Risks

Exposures and risks vary depending on the region where properties are located. But across the board, more and more commercial residential property owners are seeing an increase in claims stemming from three key areas – security issues, amenity spaces and environmental hazards. While these trends persist, there are steps property owners can take today to help limit their exposure.

1. Security Concerns

Insufficient surveillance coverage or an inability to manage surveillance systems can get property owners in hot water during accident investigations. Here are some proactive steps to take before an incident occurs:

• Place surveillance equipment and appropriate lighting in all common areas and amenity spaces.
• Conduct regular checks and inspections to ensure all surveillance systems are operating and recording to capture and retain evidence.
• Establish relationships with local police departments and create a neighborhood watch.
• When using a security company, ensure all officers are bonded with clean background checks.
• Offer discounted rent to local police officers provided they park a squad car at your property.

2. Amenity Spaces

As demands for more robust amenities grow, these spaces introduce new risks and exposures for property owners. From dog parks and playgrounds to pools and gyms, here are preventative steps to help reduce liability:

• Ensure all rules and necessary signage is posted in amenity areas, including hours of operation.
• Inspect all equipment regularly.
• Have easily accessible phones or emergency communication mechanisms in amenity areas.
• Install fences with passcodes for entry in areas like pools, dog parks and sport courts.
• Make sure you have surveillance cameras covering pools, playgrounds, fitness centers and other amenity spaces.

3. Environmental Hazards

Weather and environmental issues will always create liability exposures for property owners, but today, they are becoming increasingly complex and harder to predict. Take these steps to get ahead of environmental and weather hazards:

• Adopt technology, like IoT sensors, for early warning detection of signs of fire or water leaks.
• Have a restoration contactor on standby.
• Hire general contractors who can make quick repairs.
• Ensure that contracts with snow removal and other contractors and vendors include explicit indemnification language and detailed insurance requirements.
• Establish mutual aid should residents need to move to temporary housing.

Prioritizing Safety and Loss Control with a Trusted Partner

No two property’s safety and loss control programs are going to look the same. Risk mitigation strategies must be tailored to the region, property classification, style and type of residents living there and more. Working with a highly experienced broker partner who understands the multitude of safety risks can help give property owners peace of mind. Conner Strong & Buckelew’s Safety, Risk Control and insurance experts can help property owners navigate today’s underwriting challenges and determine the risk mitigation strategies that will work best for their property and their budget, while ensuring compliance with local ordinances and regulations.

If you’re ready to improve your property’s safety and loss control program, contact a member of our team today.