13 Ways To Avoid A Christmas Tragedy
April 19th, 2010 | 
Author: 13 Ways To Avoid A Christmas Tragedy
We all know that Christmas is a time when spirits are high and people work to have a Merry Christmas. Yet tragedies still occur like fires floods and loss of property and possessions. As a homeowner landlord or property manager you have the responsibility of taking care that your property is protected during this season. Work out a plan to remind your tenants that they need to be careful even as they have seasonal fun and delight in their apartments. Here are some tips for landlords and managers to help prevent a Christmas disaster.
Notify Your Tenants in Advance
Give yourself thirty days to focus and take action on fire prevention at your properties. Send each tenant a written notice about fire prevention during the holiday season. Inform your tenants.
1. Do not leave unattended candles in a room especially if they depart their apartment
2. Keep their trees watered daily. If they hang real wreaths spray them with water daily
3. Use a surge protector instead of extension cords for their decorations and portable heaters
4. Tell your tenants if you do not want outside lighting
5. Precaution your tenants about having Christmas parties and watching their family and friends leave after having several drinks. You want to prevent slips and falls which could lead to homeowner insurance lawsuits
6. Require every tenant to remove their Christmas tree by December 31st
What You Can Do As an Owner or Manager
7. Install ABC fire extinguishers on the wall in each kitchen as a preventive measure
8. Install a carbon monoxide monitor to avoid tenants being poisoned by carbon monoxide gas while asleep
9. Make sure every apartment has a working smoke detector on each public hallway ceiling outside of each bedroom ceiling and in the basement
10. Install extra electrical outlets to prevent tenants using extension cords for their Christmas decorations. Extra outlets will also help electrical overload from decorations and portable heating units
11. Failing the installation of extra outlets give tenants a surge protector for their living room tree decorations. Have them sign and date a receipt that you provided one.
12. Look up the Red Cross online and see if or what they provide for your tenants in the event of an unfortunate catastrophe. Better to know now then to try to find out if the worse happens after it does
13. If you have a vacant apartment leave the heat on a low level to avoid pipes breaking during a cold spell. Keep a little heat flowing through the pipes. The heat bill will certainly be lower than having to stop your winter vacation to take care of the expense of a flooded apartment or basement.
Summary
Do not assume that your tenants know about fire safety during the holidays. Do not assume that they will take the appropriate precautions to protect their homes and your property. Give them the information they need to know.
A little money spent in advance could avoid the loss of your property or massive financial renovations during or after the holidays.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Carolyn Gibson a management consultant expert witness and Certified Property Manager from Boston MA writes about property management practices and techniques for homeowners landlords tenants and property managers.
A member of the Institute of Real Estate Management IREM Ms. Gibson has more than two decades of senior level residential property management experience. Her web site where she writes extensively and provides information on her two books is www.synergyprofessionals.com.
Carolyn is a contributing author on www.ezinearticles.com www.helium.com and www.searchwarp.com. Her books one on tenant selection and screening titled How to Pick the Best Tenant and “Secrets to a Successful Eviction” are both available at www.Amazon.com.
Related posts:
Posted in Finance