Last updated February 12th, 2026

A second property—whether a vacation home, family residence, or rental—is empty more often than the home you live in every day. That lack of daily activity makes it easier for issues to go unnoticed and for unwanted activity to happen. According to the FBI, roughly 75% of residential burglaries occur when no one is home.

A smarter way to protect a second property is to combine quality security cameras, smart access, automated schedules, and professional monitoring—so the home still feels cared for, even when you’re not there.

Security cameras built for when no one is home

Security cameras are often the first step in protecting a second property—but the considerations are a little different when the home isn’t occupied every day.

Prioritize outdoor coverage

Outdoor cameras should be your focus. Exterior coverage lets you monitor activity around the home without intruding on private indoor spaces like bedrooms or bathrooms.

The most effective placements typically include entry doors, driveways, garages, and side yards. A professional installer can help assess the property layout, lighting, and blind spots to recommend the right camera types and locations.

Look for:

Outdoor, weather-rated cameras (IP65+) that can handle sun, rain, and wind

Battery-powered options for easy installation when running power isn’t practical

PoE (Power over Ethernet) cameras for long-term reliability independent of Wi-Fi

Always disclose camera use to tenants and clearly communicate where cameras are installed.

Reliable remote connection

For second properties, being able to check in remotely is just as important as the camera itself. A reliable mobile app lets you view live or recorded video from anywhere, so you can quickly confirm activity without being on site.

Remote access is especially helpful between tenants, during vacancies, or when maintenance and cleaning crews are coming and going, making it easy to quickly verify that everything looks as expected.

Use smart motion detection

Smart motion detection reduces false alerts by filtering out activity from cars, animals, and weather to surface the activity that actually matters.

Advanced motion detection can alert you to unexpected visitors, and the right camera can even proactively deter them without you having to step in. This combination helps discourage unwanted activity while giving you clearer, more actionable information.

Smart locks that simplify turnover and access

With rental and investment properties, access changes constantly. Tenants move in and out. Maintenance shows up on different schedules. Cleaners need entry for a few hours.

Smart locks make this manageable because you can update access without being on-site.

Instead of tracking keys or rekeying locks between tenants, you can change codes remotely, set temporary access, and remove access when it’s no longer needed. It eliminates key tracking, rekeying costs, and uncertainty about who might still have a copy.

For properties you manage from a distance, this level of control is essential.

Schedules that make the home look lived in

Vacant homes feel and look empty. And that’s noticeable when lights never turn on, and nothing changes day to day.

Schedules help close that gap. Lights can turn on in the early evening and off a few hours later. Exterior lighting can follow a consistent routine.

Plus, thermostats can adjust automatically to keep the home comfortable without wasting energy and money when no one’s there.

Professional monitoring for when you’re not available

If you’re asleep, on a flight, in a meeting, or not checking your phone, emergencies can escalate without you knowing. That’s where professional monitoring becomes invaluable.

Trained agents watch for alarms around the clock and can contact emergency services when needed. Some services offer live video monitoring, where agents review footage in real time to assess what’s going on.

For properties you don’t occupy daily, monitoring fills the gap between detection and response.

Serious security for homes you don’t live in full-time

Protecting a second property comes down to getting the fundamentals right: properly installed cameras, remote access control, automated schedules, and professional monitoring that doesn’t rely on you catching every alert.

That’s where Alarm.com stands apart. We bring these essentials together in one professionally installed, professionally monitored system, designed for any home—including those that sit empty, change hands often, or are managed from a distance.

If you’re looking for serious security for your second property, find a local Alarm.com security provider near you. Simply fill out the form below.