Basics of Property Management: Screening Potential Tenants

Own Rental Properties? Four Thanksgiving Reminders You Need to Give Your Residents

27 October 2016

Jesse Obrien

If you own rental property, it's already that time of year when you need to put away the lawn mower and drag out the leaf blower. It's also time to let your residents know what they need to keep in mind if they're planning on entertaining guests for Thanksgiving. Newer residents in particular may not be aware of exactly what is and isn't acceptable during the holidays. To keep everyone living in your properties on the same page, it's helpful to send out some of the following reminders and safety tips.

1.) Explain the rules on deep-frying turkeys.

Unless you have designated spaces where residents are allowed to use outdoor grills that are well away from the actual buildings, using a deep-fryer to cook the turkey should be on your list of forbidden activities. Remind your residents that a turkey fryer is never to be used indoors. Every year, deep-fryers are responsible for more than $15 million dollars in property damage, and you don't want your properties to become part of that statistic.

2.) Remind residents about guest parking.

Unless you have a lot of extra parking spaces, your residents may get frustrated if they get shut out of their own parking lot because of too many holiday guests. One way to handle the issue is to create tickets for any extra parking spaces that you have and make them available on a "first come, first take" and limited basis. Consider limiting each resident to no more than three extra parking spots for Thanksgiving. Let them know that you will tow strange cars without passes if you can't identify where the driver is in order to ask them to move their car off the lot.

3.) Emphasize the residential fire-safety rules in the lease.

Holidays and candles seem to go together. Make sure that your guests are aware of any restrictions on candles in the lease. If there aren't any, consider suggesting that your residents opt for the battery-operated simulated candles instead—which are much safer inside close quarters when there are people milling around. Also, make sure that your residents are aware of where the fire extinguishers are located inside and outside of their apartments. This is also a good time of year to make a quick inspection of all the fire extinguishers and make sure that none of them are out of date.

4.) Offer advice that will avoid plumbing problems.

You probably don't enjoy the idea of being pulled away from your own Thanksgiving meal to deal with a plumbing problem inside one of the apartments, but it can easily happen. The problem isn't actually likely to be in the bathroom, however, but the kitchen. Residents who don't regularly cook large meals and guests alike are prone to overusing the kitchen drain, especially if there's a garbage disposal on it. Remind residents that fats should never be drained into the sink and that fibrous vegetables like celery shouldn't be put in the disposal. Turkey and chicken bones are also something that can tear up a disposal rather quickly. 

With a little pre-planning, this Thanksgiving will be over and done without any danger or drama, and you'll be able to move on with the remainder of your season planning without a hitch. For more help dealing with residents in a proactive manner, consider contacting a property management service for assistance.

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