As a landlord, you have many responsibilities to fulfill to keep your rental property safe and habitable. Tenants have plenty of concerns too, and they’ll be more likely to stay with you as long as they feel secure in their living space.
To make sure your investment property is safe, it’s essential to take certain precautions to ensure that your tenants feel comfortable and protected in their new homes. While you want the area to be as secure as possible, you don’t want it to seem unwelcoming or cramped either. When you keep these nine tips in mind, you can strike the perfect balance between protecting the safety of your renters and making the space feel like an inviting home that they want to stay in for years.
1) Cover Loose Nails
There’s nothing like a flying nail to ruin an otherwise-comfortable apartment. To make sure your tenants are always safe in their homes, be sure that all of your flooring and walls are secure—not just from pests, but from falling objects as well. Loose nails can be a big safety hazard, so make sure that you check regularly for loose nails and immediately pull them out.
2) Update Smoke Alarms
The first step in keeping a property safe is making sure all of its systems are up-to-date and functioning correctly. One easy way you can do that is by ensuring that your smoke alarms are in good working order. It includes regularly replacing batteries, testing all components, and checking that they’re mounted high enough to ensure they can detect smoke no matter where it begins. You should also look into getting hardwired alarms, which prevent battery failure.
3) Make Sure It’s Flood Ready
Leaky pipes, burst water heaters, and sudden plumbing problems can cause floods. A well-maintained unit can help prevent these from happening. If you do have a leaky pipe, let tenants know as soon as possible, so they can stay away from potential hazards until you’ve fixed it. Flood insurance is also something you should keep in mind if your building is prone to flooding or if it’s at risk of flooding due to its location on a lake or near other bodies of water.
4) Update Fixtures and Light Bulbs
Before you post a listing, go around and make sure that all of your light bulbs work, that your faucets don’t leak and that anything else in your rental is up-to-date. You should keep things in proper working order — that’s part of being a good landlord! But you can make sure you’re doing everything possible to eliminate potential hazards when renting out a space.
5) Provide Fire Exits
Fire is a real danger, and since you’re responsible for people’s lives if something happens, you must take precautions. Part of your job as a landlord is installing fire exits in each apartment. It will allow tenants to safely leave their homes in case of an emergency so that everyone stays safe. Of course, having exit signs posted isn’t enough. You have to tell tenants about them—and make sure they know where they are. Create a document like a tenant handbook and email it out before new residents move in; include directions on how tenants can find all escape routes, along with instructions for testing them periodically.
6) Check For Mold
Mold is a living organism that can be found almost anywhere, and it requires moisture and food sources to survive. But, even in small amounts, mold can cause severe respiratory problems like asthma and lead poisoning. If you suspect there might be mold in your rental unit, hire a professional to check out your home and conduct thorough mold testing. Have them take samples of suspected areas even if they don’t look contaminated and have them send them off for testing.
7) Install CCTV in Halls
This is an obvious one, but it’s something that landlords often overlook. CCTV surveillance can be a big investment, and some people may be concerned about a loss of privacy. But when you’re able to see what is happening in your property, you reduce your liability. This way, if someone does cause damage or injury to your property either intentionally or by accident, you have evidence as proof that they were at fault. It can go a long way toward mitigating future claims and problems.
8) Replace Locks on All Sliding Doors & Windows
Sliding doors and windows are a common weak point for criminals because they’re made of cheap glass. If a criminal can break one, they can gain entry into your apartment through that hole. By replacing any old sliding doors or windows with solid wood or metal ones, you can make it significantly harder for burglars to enter through these vulnerable spots.
If you want your tenants to enjoy their rental experience and refer other people, it’s essential that they feel safe from day one. Remember, if they are happy with your property, they are more likely to pay rent on time and of course, stay much longer.
Meta title: 8 Ways to Make the Space Safe for Tenants
meta desc: Find out how you can make your home safer for tenants. This guide discusses eight simple ways to achieve that.
