Making the house attractive during the Christmas season is a time-honored tradition for renters and homeowners alike. Many tenants want to adorn their eaves and windows with strings of lights, adding a cheerful twinkle to long winter nights. However, dangling Christmas lights on a house are not nearly as simple– nor it is more reliable – as setting up other holiday decorations. You can also never entirely be sure what the result will be, as everyone has varying ideas of what composes a tasteful holiday display. For more than one reason, Windermere property owners and landlords should think twice before letting their renters hang Christmas lights on their own.
Consider the Risks
Per data provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are more than 1,000 serious injuries triggered by hanging Christmas decorations each year. Falls, electrical shocks, cuts, and abrasions severe enough to send people to the emergency room are just a few of the likely hazards of hanging lights.
Another liability risk includes decorations that violate the protocols of Common Interest Communities (commonly known as Homeowner Associations) and other local governances. A CIC, to be more specific, could have strict rulebooks about how many and what type of Christmas decorations are permissible, as well as when and how long it ought to be exhibited. If your tenant violates CIC regulations, you may find yourself on the hook for fines, disciplinary action, or other unwanted consequences.
Making sure that your property is in compliance may mean that you must prohibit renters from hanging their own Christmas lights. Even though no one aspires to be a holiday grinch, the liability that comes with tenants doing their own Christmas decorating is not something property owners can afford to leave to chance. Ergo, the importance of deliberating and drafting common sense holiday decorating guidelines with your tenants.
In Conclusion
No matter the season, it’s essential to oversee your properties, a service that is an indispensable part of the Real Property Management South Orlando approach to property management. Our expert property managers recognize the value of completing regular property evaluations and keeping your tenants safe and in compliance with their lease. To learn more, please contact us online or call us at 407-982-2000 today.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
