Should You Allow Space Heaters in Your Germantown Rental Property?

Safety is the primary concern with using space heaters as they are known for causing deadly accidents.  They ought to be banned in a rental home, and the risk is just too high for anybody. At some point we’ve all heard of the news about families going to bed on a cold winter night, confident that their space heater would keep them warm – only to not wake up the following day. The reason for the accident could be a malfunctioned electric heater which has filled the home with toxic fumes, or an electrical fire has been ignited and left the family with little hope of escape. Stories like these are all too familiar, and you as a Germantown property owner do not want to hear a report that such a tragedy has occurred to your residents.

Generally speaking, electric heaters are deemed much safer for residential use compared to the fuel-based models. But then again, even electric heaters have to be used under strict supervision and must adhere to the recommended safety practices. Children and pets are predominantly susceptible to injury caused by space heaters, which puts any resident with a family or pet at risk. Furthermore, there’s no assurance that your residents will adhere to the safety practices required or if they use the space heater appropriately, which may lead to catastrophic consequences.

Banning space heaters is the safest way to approach this predicament. You are not only protecting yourself and your real estate investment from potentially deadly accidents, but you are also defending yourself against unwanted legal actions. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has assessed that over 25,000 residential fires are caused by space heaters each year. These fires result in more than 300 deaths and 6,000 emergency room visits annually. Some of these injuries are burns from getting in contact with a space heater unit, and others are far more severe.

As the rental property owner, you carry a high risk of liability if you allow your residents to use space heaters. While your landlord’s insurance covers the damage to the rental home itself, if a space heater has caused any loss of life or serious injury, that may result in further legal action against you. Lawsuits alleging negligence or worse could impend not only your source of revenue, but also your assets and, in some of the worst cases, your liberty.

Regular property evaluations are crucial to protecting your property from the dangers presented by space heaters. At Real Property Management Investor’s Choice, regular evaluations are a foundational piece of our property management program. We believe that the safety of your residents is a top priority, as is protecting you and your investment from the dangers of noncompliance. Contact us online or call us at 615-810-9578 to learn more about what we can do for you.