As a property manager, the holidays can leave your property open to vulnerabilities and mishaps. Here are a few ways to safeguard your property and your tenants during the holidays.
- Install Amazon boxes to keep your tenants deliveries safe from theft. It will give them peace of mind and help eliminate porch thieves from trolling around your property.
- Double check building safety equipment to make sure they are in working order.
- Make certain you have outlined policies for holiday decorations such as Christmas trees, candles, lighting and other holiday decorations. Pass along holiday home safety tips to increase awareness.
- In case of an emergency, make certain your tenants know what to do and who to contact.
- Remind tenants to lock up their cars and homes to protect their valuables and to keep safe.
- As holiday gatherings begin to pick up, tenants need to be mindful of occupancy limits for their unit, balcony, or shared spaces. In addition, if there are quiet hours, outline when those times are and how to best respect their neighbors as they celebrate the season.
- Install security cameras for double duty protection on your property
- Encourage your tenants to install a smart doorbell as a simple solution to keep them safe. Most will include a motion-activated, camera, a two way audio, and an app that sends an alert to you.
Holiday Tree Safety Tips for your tenants
If you opt for a real tree this holiday, make sure you stay focused on keeping your home safe. Here are our top Tree Safety Tips:
- When selecting your fresh beautiful tree, choose one where the needles do not fall off when touched.
- Once home, cut 2” from the base of the trunk before placing it in the stand.
- Place the tree at least 3 feet from any heat source such as fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents, or lights.
- Water your tree daily, especially during the first 7-10 days.
- Also, your tree should not block any existing exits.
- On average a freshly cut tree will last up to 4 weeks if treated properly.
Holiday Lighting Best Practices
Avoid dangerous situations when decorating by following some simple holiday lighting practices:
- Indoor vs outdoor lights – Always use appropriately labeled lights based on where you want to place them. (Don’t use indoor lights outside or outside lights indoors) Also, look for the UL seal indicating the lights meet the national industry standards of the American National Standards Institute.
- Choose the right cord – Indoor use extensions cords are not meant to be used outside in wet or cold environments. Use a cord protector to keep the junction where the cord and the extension cord meet dry and protected from out of damp environments such as puddles, snow, ice, and wet soil.
- Don’t Overload Your Outlets – Avoid overloading outlets. Overloading outlets with extension cords connected to a number of devices or even other extension cords increases the risk of a fire. Know the amount of power you are plugging into each outlet.
- Stick to 3 – the Electrical Safety Foundation International recommends connecting no more than three strings of incandescent lights together. If in doubt, most UL-labeled lights will tell you how many strings of lights you can safely string together.
- Lights are not a year-long attraction – As much as you love the twinkle of your lights and the joy of the season, your neighbors may need a break from all the merriment. Most lights are not intended for long-term use.