Fire safety is a must to protect your rental property from damage and to help tenants stay safe. Use these simple tips to mitigate the fire risk in your property.
Install Alarms
The easiest and most obvious solution. A correctly installed fire alarm is your first defence against fires. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, landlords must install fire alarms within 3m of each bedroom door (or in every bedroom), and on each level. These alarms must be working, photoelectric, and include long-life batteries or be hard wired.
Landlords are expected to check all fire alarms are in working order at the start of each new tenancy. During the tenancy, the tenant is responsible in letting the landlord know if there are any problems with the fire alarms as soon as possible.
Avoid the burnt toast drama. If you're looking to update your alarms, thermal heat alarms are an excellent option. Sensitive to heat, these alarms monitor the room temperature. If the temperature changes rapidly, the alarm will go off alerting the household.
Keep a Fire Extinguisher & Fire Blanket
Protect tenants and your property by keeping a fire extinguisher and fire blanket handy inside the rental property. Place it in an easy to find place that is highly visible, but out of reach of children. The kitchen is a good option. According to the New Zealand Fire Service, 25% of house fires start in the kitchen. Ensure you inform new tenants where it's located at the beginning of each tenancy, and regularly check it still works during property inspections. Don’t forget to service it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Examine Your Appliances & Check Filters
To prevent fires caused by faulty products, examine home appliances you've provided to the tenants, like washing machines and ovens, before beginning a tenancy and during regular property inspections to make sure they meet required safety standards, and repair or replace damaged, cracked, loose or defective items when necessary, or ask the tenant to if it belongs to them. Also check if the filters in appliances such as the dryer need to be replaced or cleaned. Heat can cause the lint in the filter to ignite, so it's important to check.
Provide An Evacuation Scheme
At the beginning of each tenancy, it’s a good idea to advise new tenants where the evacuation scheme is located in the property, if the property has one. If the property is under a body corporation, an evacuation plan is likely to have already been provided for the property.
Provide Fire Safety Advice
Many people don't know what to do in the event of a fire other than call 111. Before starting the tenancy, provide tenants helpful fire safety advice on how to prevent fires, and safety tips on what to do in the event of a fire.
You can see some of our advice to tenants here: Tenancy Information
Get Adequate Insurance
Protect your property with full replacement insurance. This allows you to claim for your entire rental property to be rebuilt after certain hardships (such as house fires).
Document Everything
Be aware that some insurance companies provide requirements that must be satisfied before landlords can make claims. Keep a record of all email communications to tenants informing them of upcoming property inspections, and any other relevant records to provide evidence that you have done what was reasonably expected to provide your tenants with a safe and healthy home. In the case of a fire, keep an inventory of all the items you own within the property to help you claim back on the contents, and advise new tenants to do the same.
For more information on other ways to protect your property from fire, check out the New Zealand Fire Service website.
At Quinovic, we can take care of this for you. We look after investments, offering peace of mind and a personal service to investors and tenants alike. Our solutions are backed by industry-leading technology and proven systems that promote both excellent property care and strong investment returns. Taking on all aspects of the landlord’s role, we guide our clients with professional, tailored advice using our extensive experience and insight in the rental market that can only be built over time.
We offer residential property management services across the entire Wellington & Hutt Valley region. If you would like to chat about the possibility of working together, or to receive a no-obligation, FREE Rental Appraisal get in touch with our team today.
Quinovic Johnsonville | Wellington
Call Jordan Atkinson - 027 297 0873
Quinovic Hutt Valley | Wellington
Call Helen Vance - 027 487 8103
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