Holiday Security Checklist for Los Angeles Commercial Properties (2026)

It's the Monday after Thanksgiving. The first tenant back opens the rear door and finds the loading gate has been unlatched since Wednesday night. Nobody knows what happened. Nobody can prove when.

For property managers, the holidays aren't a break. They're the stretch when buildings sit quiet, staff are away, and small problems go unnoticed for days. This checklist covers what to do before Thanksgiving week so your property stays secure through New Year's.

Why the holidays are a high-risk window for LA properties

This season, the calendar creates three long weekends when most office buildings, retail centers, and business parks are close to empty:

That's 11 days with fewer people on site and fewer eyes on the property. And with daylight saving time over, it's dark in Los Angeles before 5 PM in December, so every night of a long weekend is a long one. Our after-hours property security checklist covers those dark evening hours in more detail.

The cost of getting it wrong is high. Only about 11% of commercial burglaries are ever cleared, so once a break-in happens, you rarely recover what was lost. The only real win is preventing it, or catching the problem the same night.

The 10-step holiday security checklist

Complete these steps before Thanksgiving week, then repeat the quick checks before Christmas and New Year's.

1. Walk the perimeter in daylight

Check fences, gates, roll-up doors, and roof access. Fix broken latches and gaps before the first long weekend, not after.

2. Fix and test exterior lighting

Replace burned-out bulbs in parking lots, entrances, and loading areas. Set timers or photocells to match the earlier sunset.

3. Audit keys, fobs, and access codes

Deactivate credentials for former tenants, vendors, and staff. Change shared door codes that have been passed around during the year.

4. Redirect or pause deliveries

Packages left at a closed building signal that nobody is there. Ask tenants to hold deliveries or route them to an open location.

5. Tell tenants your holiday plan

Send one notice with building hours, who to call, and the date the building reopens. Ask tenants to lock interior suites and take laptops home.

6. Test cameras and alarms

Confirm every camera is recording, storage isn't full, and alarm contacts are current. Remember that a camera records a problem; it doesn't stop one.

7. Share an emergency contact list

Give your security provider, maintenance vendor, and key tenants one list with names and phone numbers for the full holiday period.

8. Remove valuables from view

Clear equipment, inventory, and tools away from windows and lobbies. Lock up ladders and anything that could be used to reach a roof.

9. Keep the property looking occupied

Use interior lights on timers, keep landscaping and trash service on schedule, and avoid "Closed until January" signs that announce an empty building.

10. Schedule documented patrols for the long weekends

A nightly on-foot check catches the open gate, the broken light, or the trespasser on the night it happens, not days later. Ask for a written, time-stamped report after every visit so you have proof the check was done.

Holiday security for HOAs and apartment communities

Residential properties face a different version of the same problem. Residents travel, units sit empty, and holiday deliveries pile up at doors and mailrooms. Before the holidays:

• Remind residents to hold mail and packages or use a locker
• Check garage gates, pool gates, and side entrances for broken closers
• Make sure common-area lighting covers walkways and parking
• Schedule nightly checks of gates, garages, and common areas while residents are away

See our residential and HOA security services.

Cameras, guards, or mobile patrol: what fits over the holidays?

For many office buildings, retail centers, and parking lots, a nightly patrol is the practical middle ground over the holidays. Still deciding? Read our guide: Guard vs. mobile patrol: which fits your property?

What a documented holiday patrol check looks like

Every Aable Security check is 20 minutes, on foot. The officer parks, walks every checkpoint, checks doors, gates, lighting, and signs of forced entry, photographs anything unusual, and sends a GPS- and time-stamped report in real time.

The gate gets closed on Thanksgiving night, not discovered on Monday.

Plans start at $245/week for a nightly check, with $0 setup, no annual contract, and automatic credit for any missed patrol. See plans and pricing.

Where we patrol in Los Angeles

Aable Security currently patrols Miracle Mile, Mid-Wilshire, Beverly Grove, Fairfax, Park La Brea, Carthay, Pico-Robertson, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Century City, Culver City, Koreatown, Santa Monica, West LA, Brentwood, Palms, and Mar Vista. Property outside these areas? Call (310) 652-8700.

Frequently asked questions