The holiday of Halloween has become synonymous with candy for most Americans. And for children, Halloween = candy. This makes Trick-or-treating one of the most Halloween activities in the country, including in Glendale. Your tenants may want to dress up in costume with their kids and go door to door, trick-or-treating, or they may prefer to receive costumed guests for candies instead. Whichever way they decide to participate in the festivities, they still have to consider a few things to make sure the evening is a safe and enjoyable one for all. Now, as a property owner, regular tenant communication is a must. So, with Halloween coming close, this presents a great opportunity. You can use this holiday to open the lines of communication by providing some safety tips when trick-or-treating.
First, let’s look at a few simple safety rules that your tenants should abide by should they decide to go out trick-or-treating. Something you could do is suggest to your tenants to use reflective tape on costumes or carry flashlights to help improve visibility while walking down dark streets. It would also be beneficial to give some good advice about costumes. Avoid masks that obstruct your vision and skip the oversized shoes, robes, or skirts that could cause someone to trip and fall. For safety purposes, encourage your tenants to secure all doors, douse any candles, and turn off all electronic decorations, when they leave the house. This is because of the danger that unattended candles and electric decorations pose. These things are one of the leading causes of residential fires on Halloween.
Second, we need to talk about properly preparing for visitors. This is the other side of trick-or-treating, which means it is also a very important part of the Halloween celebration. As the property owner, the first thing you can do is regular landscaping maintenance or ensuring that your tenants have done so. Clearing away overgrowth, low-hanging branches, and other potential hazards are something you could do before the holiday.
Inform your tenants that they can help the kids stay safe by clearing leaves and debris from sidewalks, driveways, and walkways, as well as removing any tripping hazards like garden hoses. It’s also a good plan to check the property’s exterior lights. If there are any burned-out bulbs, they should be replaced. As you check the lights, look around for any dark areas around the property. These should ideally be illuminated with extra light sources, such as landscaping lights or even battery-powered tea lights in decorative bags. A clear and well-lit walkway is a safe walkway.
If your tenant has plans to display jack o’ lanterns, then it would be good to make sure they do it safely. Here are some tips you should tell them to consider. First, see to it that doorways and walkways are free of candles and other hazards. Better yet, your tenants could use lighting sources that do not require an open flame. However, some tenants want to go traditional and use real candles in their decorating. In this case, make sure that they are placed at a safe distance from where visitors might be walking or standing. It is also crucial that all exterior decorations your tenant hangs up are properly secured. Should a decorative item fall and injure a visitor or an improperly placed candle burn someone or start a fire, then you’d have a huge problem. This could result in (on top of the property damage) a lawsuit against you as the property owner.
There are some additional precautions your tenant can take to prevent accidents and injuries on Halloween. If your tenant has pets and plans to give out candy on Halloween, they should be sure to keep their furry friends indoors and secured in a safe location. It’s the best thing to do for your pet. This sees to it that nobody gets hurt just because strangers keep walking up to the property and stress out the dog. Along with that, you run the risk of getting sued because your tenant’s dog injured someone. That would be really horrible.
Your tenants should also know that not all items are considered safe and appropriate for trick-or-treaters of all ages. Usually, store-bought, individually wrapped items are the best. Only make sure that they are big enough to not pose as a choking hazard. In some neighborhoods, you can leave a bowl of treats outside. This is really smart especially if your tenant is not planning to hand out candies themselves. Doing this also helps your rental property from becoming the target of Halloween pranks and vandalism.
Educating your tenants is truly an important part of being a rental property owner. However, it also takes a lot of time. With so many demands that your real estate investing business requires from you, it might make sense to hire a Glendale property manager. Real Property Management East San Gabriel Valley is an expert in the industry, providing services that allow you to spend your time on more valuable aspects of rental property ownership. If you want to know more about what we have to offer property owners like yourself, don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at 626-600-2884.
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