Although there are many different Halloween traditions across the many cultures of America, one of the most popular ones is trick-or-treating. Many kids all across the country— including Conroe— get excited at the prospect of free candy. Your tenants may plan to participate in trick-or-treating by going out, or they may choose to stay home and be the ones receiving costumed guests for candies. Either way, there are some important things they can do to makes sure the evening is a safe and enjoyable one for all. Now, as a property owner, regular tenant communication is encouraged, and this includes providing some safety tips on trick-or-treating.
The first thing we’ll look at are some simple safety rules your tenants should follow if they decide to go out trick-or-treating. One thing you could do is to encourage tenants to place reflective tape on costumes or carry flashlights to help improve visibility while walking down dark streets. It would also be helpful to pass along 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. To ensure safety, encourage your tenants to secure all doors, douse any candles, and turn off all electronic decorations before they leave the house. Because, when candles and electric decorations are left unattended, they are a huge risk. They are one of the leading causes of residential fires on Halloween.
The second thing we’ll take up is about receiving the guests. Properly preparing for visitors is also a big part of celebrating Halloween. As the property owner, one big help is to perform regular landscaping maintenance or ensuring that your tenants have done so. Clearing away overgrowth, low-hanging branches, and other potential hazards are a good idea to make the property ready for the trick-or-treaters.
Suggest to your tenants that they can help make the celebration more pleasant for the children by clearing leaves and debris from sidewalks, driveways, and walkways, as well as removing any tripping hazards like garden hoses. It would be great if you also check up on the property’s exterior lights to see if they still work. And if you see any burned-out bulbs, you’ll have to replace them. As you go around the property checking the lights, try to see if there are any dark areas. These should 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 plans to decorate the house with some jack o’ lanterns, then you should give them some advice on how to do it safely. 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, if your tenant really wants to use candles in their decorating, then suggest a safe location. Make sure that it’s placed at a safe distance from where visitors might be walking or standing. It is also vital 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 other measures 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 what’s best for the pet during this time. This measure sees to it that nobody gets hurt because a dog was stressed out by strangers. Additionally, the last thing you’d want to happen to you is to get sued because your tenant’s dog injured someone.
Your tenants should also be aware of what 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 not only makes the experience better for the kids but it also helps your rental property from becoming the target of Halloween pranks and vandalism.
While educating your tenants is an important task that rental property owners must do, it also takes time. Now, because your real estate investing business requires a lot of your time and attention for many things, it might make sense to hire a Conroe property manager. Real Property Management Republic is an expert in the industry, providing services that allow you to spend your time on more valuable aspects of rental property ownership. Please contact us online or call us at 281-362-5001 to learn more about what we have to offer property owners like yourself.
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