We have now officially headed into the holiday season with Thanksgiving last week. Traditionally many people will also begin decorating their homes for Christmas this week. I thought it was a perfect time to talk about how property owners can keep their property and their tenants safe.
Real estate investors are always concerned about safety issues where their property is concerned. But there is no better time than now as we head into the holiday season, to remind your tenants of some basic steps they can take to keep themselves and the property they live in (your property) safe. Putting up Christmas lights and holiday decorations presents you with many “opportunities” for additional liability in your rental property.
If you regularly send a newsletter to your tenants, this is a perfect topic to include in your holiday newsletter. If you don’t have a newsletter, then go ahead and mail out a “Happy Holidays” flier to each tenant reminding them that taking a few extra precautions can enhance their safety this year. Doing this will take a little time and effort on your part, but it can potentially save you big dollars and a whole lot of headaches down the road.
Approximately 13,000 people go to the emergency room every year in November and December because of accidents related to holiday decorations.
Indoor Christmas Lights
Most people know that indoor Christmas lights should be replaced at least every 3-4 years for safety however most of us tend to keep them a lot longer than that. Those lights have tiny wires can be easily damaged from normal use. Before you put any lights on the tree, they should be inspected for broken and cracked sockets, frayed, bare or damaged wires and …read more