A lot of people hang Christmas lights as part of their holiday tradition. But should you let your renters hang Christmas lights on your Waltham rental house on their own? Think this question through first before you say yes. With all of the things that could possibly go wrong, there are valid reasons for you to discourage your tenants from hanging their own Christmas lights on the roof or trees. But you don’t have to worry. Your tenants won’t have to forgo this tradition entirely. There are other safer ways for your tenants to still give their homes a festive atmosphere.
The main reason for not allowing your tenants to install Christmas lights on their own is the possible risk of injury. From 2007 to 2013, more than 173,000 people in the U.S. were injured by hanging Christmas decorations in their homes. Hanging Christmas lights on a home’s exterior can be a very dangerous activity.
Every holiday season, an estimated 13,000 people injure themselves by falling off the roof or getting shocked by Christmas lights. As a landlord, you may have responsibility for your tenant’s injuries if loose or slippery roof tiles were a factor in that fall. The risk of the electrical shock of overloading of breakers is also very real. Regardless of the condition of your property’s roof, you could still find yourself in an expensive legal battle.
One other reason to discourage your tenant from installing their own Christmas lights is the possible damage to your rental property. Nails, screws, and other hardware are often used to secure strings of lights, garlands, and other Christmas decorations and it can leave ugly holes in walls, both interior, and exterior.
Even if these are small, holes on exterior surfaces can be areas for insects or passageways for water to seep into the walls of the home causing damage & costly repairs. There is no certainty that your tenant will apply one of the many ways to decorate a home without causing damage to walls or exterior surfaces. And since they are renters, not owners, they might not be as careful as you would be.
To safeguard your tenant’s safety & condition of your rental property, you can offer your tenant an alternative way to enjoy Christmas lights without causing any damage. A good option is to hire a professional to put up Christmas lights on the home for your tenant. Professionals have their own liability insurance so they can do the job more efficiently than your tenant could.
Professional light installers also usually return after the holidays to remove the Christmas lights from the home. Knowing all of these, the idea of paying someone to hang Christmas lights on your rental house may not be so bad after all.
Not only will you ensure the safety of your tenant and your property, but you’ll also build goodwill with them and improve your landlord-tenant relationship by giving them the gift of more time during the holidays.
Whether it’s putting up Christmas lights or simply any routine property maintenance, managing a rental property can take time away from your holiday celebrations. Why not let Real Property Management Commonwealth do it for you? Our property management professionals have the resources and expertise you need to feel confident that your investment and your tenant are both safe and sound this holiday season. Would you like to learn more? Call us at 617-299-2342 or contact us online 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.
