November 30, 2017
by Randall Henderson, PMI Executive Director of Training
The holidays are a wonderful time of year, but with the festivities, traditions, and decorations come a new batch of scenarios and potential damage risks for property managers to deal with. Make sure you and your tenants are ready to relax and enjoy your well-earned celebrations by being prepared for any curveballs the holidays might throw your way.
Communicate with Your Tenants in Advance
Communication with tenants is essential for effective property management. As a property manager you not only have the opportunity to think ahead and strategize for how to deal with potential issues, but you can also share that knowledge with your tenants. Most of the damage that may occur during the holidays will be their responsibility, but even a quick reminder or two from their property manager can be enough to prevent disaster before it strikes. Don’t be afraid to give them a few tips, and make sure your tenants know how to get in touch with you if they have any concerns.
Anticipate that Tenants Will Have Visitors
Friends and family will be coming from out of town and many of them will need places to park. Make sure you’re aware of the parking situation around your properties and let your tenants know where the best and safest legal parking spots are so they can tell their guests.
Keep an eye out for any liabilities and potential dangers around your properties like poorly lit areas, sharp edges, steep inclines, and tripping hazards. You may be able to fix or resolve some of these yourself through maintenance. If not, let your tenants know what to watch out for.
Mitigate Increased Fire Hazards During the Holiday Season
I love turkey and especially deep-fried turkey, but it’s easy to be wary about frying your turkey in a pan of burning hot oil once you realize that nearly 2,000 homes burned down last year thanks to turkey deep frying gone wrong. I’m not saying that your tenants shouldn’t be able to deep fry turkeys, just make sure they are deep frying outside and away from the house.
Make sure your tenants know to keep Christmas trees away from fireplaces, ovens, and other heat sources that might set the wood alight. Similarly, make sure they have surge protection devices when plugging in multiple holiday lights and other decorations, so circuits don’t overheat and overload. Scented candles are popular during Christmas, but candles are also among the leading causes of fires, so they need to be used cautiously.
No property manager wants to prevent tenants from enjoying holiday meals and decorations. The point of these suggestions is make sure everyone is aware of the risks so that they can drink in the holiday atmosphere while keeping potential fire hazards from ever becoming a problem.
Watch Out for Weather
Not every property manager will have to deal with winterization, but there are a few things property managers in areas with colder weather and harsher winters can do to meet the changing seasons smoothly. A few adjustments to your sprinkler systems, evaporative coolers, and AC condensing units will keep them from getting damaged when winter blows into town. In some cases, winterization is your property owner’s responsibility, so check your management contract if you’re unsure who has agreed to handle winterization. Winterization is often something you can do yourself, but for piece of mind you may want to consider hiring skilled vendors who can perform the service for you.
Preparing your properties, tenants, and clients for the holidays is a matter of thinking ahead, and anticipating potential problems. If you winterize, mitigate fire risks, and coordinate parking and guest protocol before they become issues you will have a better chance of enjoying the holidays without being interrupted by issues with your rental properties. As a property manager, you can wear one of two hats: Smokey the Bear or Firefighter. One prevents emergencies, and one responds after they happen. On your properties this year, try to be Smokey!
