To the benefit of everyone fires are not a common occurrence in Park City property management. However uncommon does not mean impossible and these events can occur. I recently had a fire happen in a property I manage and would like to share with you some tips on what to do once a fire has occurred. Fortunately in this situation no one was hurt. Property can be repaired or replace, lives cannot. The worst thing any landlord or tenant could face is the prospect of a loss of life in an event such as this. A good post you might also want to take a look at is "Fire Prevention Tips For Park City Property Management" which you can find my clicking here. After a fire however there are a few things I can recommend to you that will be of benefit.
Health And Safety
The health and safety of yourself, your tenants, and anyone else affected by the fire is the primary concern. Furniture can be purchased again, carpet can be replaced and structures can be rebuilt. You should be concerned about the health and safety of your tenants, even if they are the cause of the fire. Make sure there aren't any further unsafe conditions in the property. If the damage is severe enough the tenant may need to relocate for a time. All the tenant's personal effects and items will need to be secured or removed. Taking care of the human element in this type of disaster should always be number one. The repair process will be lengthy so be prepared and don't expect an overnight result. Work through the situation with your tenant and help where you are able. If you employ a competent Park City property management company they can be invaluable in these situations, particularly if you do not live near the property. They should have knowledge, contacts and experience to help you navigate these difficult circumstances.
Coordination
Getting all your ducks in a row and all involved parties notified is one of the first big hurdles. Is your Park City long term rental part of a home owners association? If so you should notify the management company and the insurance agent for the association. Utah law has particular requirements as to who pays what and how much in a loss claim like this. You should notify all parties even if they eventually have nothing to do or contribute to the mitigation and repair. Once everyone is on the same page progress can be made towards restoring the property. Some mitigation work should be performed immediately such as removing any standing water and installation of fans and dehumidifiers if there was a fire sprinkler system that suppressed the fire. While a complete repair may take time these initial steps can help keep a bad situation from getting worse.
Insurance
As a landlord you should always carry insurance and you should always require your renters to carry renter's insurance. The last thing you want to is have an incident like this occur and not be covered. My management contract requires that an owner carry insurance and my lease requires it of a renter, you should do the same. Hopefully you aren't reading this after a fire and kicking yourself for not having done the right thing.
If you would like more information about handling fire damage or further information about Park City property management in general click the link below for a free consultation. You will receive valuable information specific to your property that will help you make an informed decision. You will also receive a free, no-obligation quote on our property management services. At CC Realty we specialize in making investment property ownership a trouble free experience. Please contact us today for your free consultation.
As a property manager who takes care of Park City Utah apartments, condos or houses you probably understand the importance of fire safety. Condominiums and apartments can present special challenges to Park City property management landlords that you would not find in your average single family home rental. With many tenants living in close proximity to one another it is important that the potential for fire be reduced and any fire systems in the building be properly maintained. If you would like to information on fire statics in the United States take a look at my post "Fire Prevention Tips For Park City Property Management" by clicking here. Today I would like to talk a little more about apartment or condominium specific concerns for property management in Park City Utah.
Smoke Detectors
The first and most easily managed line of defense is a working smoke detector. For all of the properties we manage we perform an annual preventative maintenance that, among other things, includes changing batteries in smoke detectors. This is cheap insurance against a fire and is something even novice property owners can accomplish. There are even smoke detectors available on the market that have a built-in battery guaranteed to last 10 years. They are simple to swap in and test to make sure they are working. For Park City property management this is the first simple step that all landlords should take.
Fire Extinguishers
Your tenants probably have pots and pans for cooking, scented candles to set the mood and maybe even electric space heaters to keep themselves warm at night. And for all these potential sources for a fire did they also bring with them a fire extinguisher? Don't wait around, buy a couple and put them in your property. Most fires occur in the kitchen and are usually caused by cooking. Having a fire extinguisher within easy reach in your Park City rental property is a great way to keep small fires from becoming large ones. If you already have an extinguisher in the property check the date on it. Extinguishers have a useful shelf life and for as little as they cost to replace it is worth it to buy a new one if your current units are expired.
Larger Property Systems
Is your rental property part of condominium building or home owners association? Specifically is it in a multi-story building surrounded by other similar condominiums? Chances are there is also a building fire suppression system in your property as well. This most likely consists of heat sensitive sprinkler heads pressurized with glycol, air horns and strobe lights, as well as a central panel and outside monitoring of the system. If anything can be relayed to your tenants regarding these systems it would be to never touch them. I had a tenant who thought it was okay to hang some clothes from a sprinkler head. This quickly resulted in a shower for the tenant and a small flood in the property. Contrary to what you see in movies only the sprinkler head near the heat source will go off. However the will continue to go off until water is shut off to the system. This is why it is important that they never be tampered with. Horns and strobes that have been tampered with can also result in an alarm sent to the monitoring company who will then dispatch the fire department. Firefighters have better things to do than respond to false alarms caused by unwitting tenants.
If you would like more information about making your property fire safe, or further information about Park City property management in general click the link below for a free consultation. You will receive valuable information specific to your property that will help you maximize your investment. You will also receive a free, no-obligation quote on our property management services. At CC Realty we specialize in making investment property ownership a trouble free experience. Please contact us today for your free consultation.
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Fire prevention is something that everyone is concerned about but perhaps we don't take all the steps we can to avoid a fire. A single fire can cause from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, not to mention the potential for loss of life. Today I would like to discuss some statistics on residential fires in the United States and some useful prevention methods that can be applied to Park City property management.
Fire In The United States
First let's dive into the statistics then talk about prevention for Park City property management.
- In the year 2011 there were 370,000 home structure fires that U.S. fire departments responded to. "Home" is classified as a dwelling, duplex, apartment, townhouse or manufactured home.
- These fires caused 13,910 injuries, 2,520 deaths, and $6.9 billion in damage.
- Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. and the kitchen is the origin point for 42% of fires and 37% of injuries. Home fires also peak between the hours of 5:00 and 8:00 pm, dinner time for most people.
- While only 7% of fires started in the bedroom, and 4% started in the living room, family room or den these fires 25% and 24% of home fire deaths respectively.
- Smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths.
- 62% of home fire deaths resulted from homes with either no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that are not working.
This may be a lot to digest so let's focus on a few of the high points. While fire related deaths have generally declined the cost of repair may continue to rise. Fire damage can be a significant expense even if the majority of a property is not damaged. The kitchen is the most dangerous place for a fire to start due to cooking. Replacing appliances, cabinets, walls and flooring, not to mention smoke damage, can happen in even the smallest of kitchen fires. Even while cooking may be the leading cause of fires smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths. Working smoke detectors are the best way to prevent significant fire damage.
Fire Prevention
For Park City property management a tenant plays a large role in the prevention of a fire. This can unfortunately leave a landlord in a less than secure position. There are some steps that a landlord can take to reduce their exposure and maximize the chance for a tenant to make the right decision.
- As mentioned above a working smoke detector is the best step in preventing a significant loss from a structure fire. Check detectors annually and replace the batteries. If it has been a while since you've checked your detectors consider replacing them entirely.
- Place a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and make sure the tenants are aware of its location.
- Make sure your property is in compliance with local fire codes. You can contact your local fire department to schedule an inspector. They will help you determine potential fire hazards and make recommendations on fixing the problem.
- Provide tenants with information from the National Fire Protection Association.
All of the statistics used in this blog can be found on the Nation Fire Protection Associations website, nfpa.org. You can go directly to the statistics page by clicking here. This website has a wealth of statistics and information that will help any Park City property management participant get educated on fire prevention.
If you would like more information about Park City property management download our free white page "5 Questions Every Landlord Should Ask Themselves".
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