Vacant House Checks

Overview

The Lebanon Police Department provides as a service Vacant House Checks to residents of the City of Lebanon. Vacant House Checks are conducted for the purpose of protection of property, deterrence of crime, and early detection of crime. Vacant House Checks will be conducted during the absence of occupants/owners upon request. All requests should be made through the Police Department Dispatch Center.

A vacant house is any inhabited dwelling in which the occupants/owner will leave temporarily unoccupied for no less than 24 hours and no more than three weeks.

The resident requesting the Vacant House Check should completely fill out a Vacant House Checks form and submit the form to the Police Department Dispatch Center for processing. It is extremely important that the dates be recorded when the house will be vacant. The owner/occupant shall be required to notify the Police Department Dispatch Center upon their return to the residence and to provide emergency contact information prior to their departure.

Once a request is received and the house is vacated a Patrol Zone Officer responsible for the area in which the house is located will be assigned the Vacant House Check. Officers with house check assignments will ensure that the property is checked at least once during each consecutive 24-hour period. To ensure that an effective check of the premises is conducted, officers will exit patrol vehicles and physically check the exterior of the premises. The officer will also ensure that the resident has returned and the house is no longer vacant within the allotted time before discontinuing the service.

There are two ways to request a Vacant House Check: