All around the country, people eagerly anticipate the arrival of Memorial Day and the promise of summer that it brings. Over time, Memorial Day has become a time to hold a barbecue or gather with family and friends. Your residents might want to celebrate Memorial Day with a social event of some kind as well.
When discussing gatherings in your Stockbridge rental homes, it’s important to know what can be done to keep things under control. Read on about the top three things landlords must know about Memorial Day parties in their rental homes.
1. Put It in the Lease
It can be challenging to keep your residents’ Memorial Day celebrations from becoming events that increase the risk of damage and liability. How many people can be considered too many for your rental home? Can (and should) you try to restrict your residents from consuming alcohol? What is your policy about residents grilling or building fires in the yard? Knowing the answers to these questions in advance can help you manage your resident’s parties even before they happen.
The maximum number of party guests, limits for noise levels, and others can all be addressed in your lease documents. Word your lease documents in such a way that you explicitly limit the number of guests they can have, with larger numbers requiring special permission. The specific number may vary, but “no more than 10 for fewer than four hours” is a common option.
2. The Do’s and Don’ts of Alcohol and Grilling Policies
Gatherings like these usually include the consumption of alcohol. Even when you can’t legally prohibit alcohol, you can include specific language in your lease that cover illegal activities, and also states the specific consequences of doing them on your rental property.
Likewise, when residents want to grill or otherwise have open flames on the property, the lease should have already explained the rules and safety issues related to fire. Even quality barbecue grills can become a fire hazard if misused, so your lease should clearly explain the terms and conditions of using these.
3. Renters Insurance and Renters Legal Liability
Make sure that your residents have their own renters insurance. If ever a large event does occur on the property, the possibility of damage and injury increases considerably. If damage or injury does occur, you could be held responsible unless residents have their own insurance coverage.
In regards to any party or social gathering at this time, please keep in mind the current recommendations by the CDC. Even though many places in the U.S. are opening back up, many areas still restrict gatherings to a certain number of people. Your Stockbridge tenants must be mindful of current restrictions within their city or state to keep themselves and your community safe.
Protecting your property entails diligence in enforcing the terms of the lease agreement. If a party gets out of hand and loud, destructive, or illegal activity is taking place, be sure to act promptly and decisively to hold your residents accountable.
We are here to help. You do not have to do all this by yourself. At Real Property Management Anchor, we will monitor activity in the residence and help you craft lease documents designed to keep party plans within acceptable limits. You can contact us or call us at 770-506-1237 for more info today!
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
