Keeping your Gardena investment property and the tenants who live there safe has to be an important priority for landlords and real estate investors. Whether we’re talking about smoke detectors, door locks, lighting, or preventative maintenance, safety features are essential.
But how do you know you’re doing everything you can?
Safety really requires a partnership between owners and tenants and owners and their vendors. Good safety practices also require regular inspections and good communication. You need to understand habitability standards and make sure your tenants feel good about where they’re living.
Just off the top of our heads, we can tell you that the most common safety failures involve electricity, plumbing, and security. We can also tell you that tenant errors can lead to safety risks too. Imagine a stove that’s left unattended or a bathtub that runs all night long.
Keeping your property safe requires attention to detail and a lot of preventative pre-planning. Today, we’re running through a list of safety features that are essential for your Gardena rental properties.
Compliance and Safety Standards in Gardena Rental Homes
Here are a few of the most basic safety features that are required in your Gardena rental home.
- Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
The State of California requires that every rental property has a smoke alarm in each bedroom. You also need to have a smoke alarm:
- On the outside of each sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms (i.e., a hallway)
- On each level of the home, including the basement if you have one.
- Placed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
The State Fire Marshal has to approve the smoke alarm you’re using, so make sure you’ve installed those models that have been approved.
Carbon monoxide detectors do not have to be present in every bedroom, but they do have to be outside the sleeping areas in your property, including the basement if someone is sleeping there. Again – the State Fire Marshal must approve the carbon monoxide detector you’re using, and it has to be placed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers can save you a lot of money in damages and repairs. We recommend that Gardena landlords provide at least one fire extinguisher in each of their rental properties. The fire extinguisher should be in a location that’s easily accessible.
Make sure your tenants know where to find it and how to use it. Look for a portable fire extinguisher that isn’t too heavy or cumbersome. You’ll need to have it serviced and maintained, and most fire departments will do this for free. Include it in your annual preventative maintenance plan.
- Secure Door and Window Locks
High-quality locks on all entry doors and ground-floor windows are non-negotiable. Deadbolts should be installed on all external doors, while window locks provide an added layer of security. Tenants are more likely to sign a lease for a property where they feel safe and secure, knowing their home is protected from potential break-ins.
- Sturdy Railings and Slip-Resistant Floors
Common areas, stairs, and walkways should have sturdy handrails to prevent accidents. Equipping floors with slip-resistant surfaces or installing mats in high-traffic areas further ensures tenant safety. Conduct inspections and respond to maintenance requests that impact the potential for a slip and fall accident.
- Adequate Lighting
Proper lighting is key to boosting both safety and aesthetics. Ensure well-lit pathways, staircases, parking areas, and building exteriors. Install motion-sensor lights for additional security. It’s also a good idea to encourage tenants to report light bulbs that need replacing promptly. Or, ask them to replace those lights themselves. A well-lit property deters criminal activity and keeps tenants safe, especially during nighttime hours.
- Updated Electrical Systems
Older rental properties in Gardena neighborhoods may have outdated wiring, which can pose fire and electrical shock risks. Ensure your property’s electrical systems are up to code and can handle modern power demands. Regularly inspect and update outlets and circuit breakers and promptly address any tenant-reported electrical issues.
Security Cameras and Video Doorbells
While security cameras have nothing to do with habitability, and some tenants might have privacy concerns about having their arrivals and departures monitored, they are an excellent way to keep your building safe. These are more appropriate for multi-family buildings or apartments. Security cameras provide peace of mind for both property owners and tenants. Strategically placed cameras in common areas, parking lots, or building entrances can significantly enhance what your rental property has to offer.
For single-family homes, consider installing video doorbells. Video doorbells are very popular among tenants. Your residents can see who is at the front door just by looking at their phones. If you want to upgrade your rental property security with the latest technology, go ahead and install a video doorbell. Your tenants can download an app that will send them a glimpse of who is at the door.
Recommended Safety Features for Gardena County Rentals
We’ve covered the obvious safety features like deadbolts on the doors, smoke detectors in the bedrooms, and video doorbells on the exterior of the home you’re renting out.
What about those safety features that a lot of landlords might not even be thinking about?
For example, we always recommend that landlords consider putting anti-tip brackets on stoves and other appliances. This is a great way to prevent stoves from falling forward and potentially causing harm. Northern California recently had a court case where a mother sued a company because she turned away from her stove for a moment while chasing her pet, and when she returned to the kitchen, the stove had fallen onto her small child, who later died. This is a terrible tragedy that seems like the sort of thing that’s impossible to prevent. Those anti-tip brackets would have been a literal lifesaver in this situation.
Good security features reduce your risk and liability.
If you’re renting out a property in Gardena with a woodstove or a fireplace, we also recommend that you have those things cleaned and serviced every year. You want to have your fireplaces inspected. Get a complete report that shows the fireplace, chimney, and stoves are safe.
We talked about the importance of adequate lighting. Make sure this is a priority when you’re conducting safety inspections. You also want to think about lighting when your rental property is vacant. Most criminals are going to seize on the opportunity. Did you know that a well-lit home is less likely to be targeted by thieves, burglars, and criminals?
Keep tenants safe with a bright light at the front of the property, on the porch, or at the front door. You’ll also want enough lighting on any walkways or paths from the parking area to the property. Motion lights are a good way to alert tenants if there’s someone or something on the property, too.
Make sure you’re aligned with any HOA requirements if your rental property is governed by an association. There will likely be security and safety protocols in place, and you’ll want to make sure that you and your residents follow them. Gate codes, keys to the pool area or any common areas, and other rules and restrictions need to be followed.
Gardena Rental Property Inspections and Safety
Safety features are an important part of providing a safe and habitable property.
This is not something that you simply provide and forget about, however.
Keeping your property and your tenants safe requires an ongoing effort. Inspections can be a great way to keep up with safety. It requires tenant cooperation, however. In California, landlords are required to protect the privacy of their tenants, and that means you cannot just show up and tell them you’d like to take a look around and make sure everything is safe and in place.
However, California Health and Safety Codes allow property owners or their property managers to enter the residence with at least 24 hours of notice in order to check and test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
You can also schedule maintenance walk-throughs and safety inspections. Let your tenants know in advance that you’ll be arriving for this purpose, and make sure the lease agreement reflects that this will happen at least once during the lease term.
Here’s what you’re looking for during your safety inspections:
- You’re identifying potential hazards before they escalate
- Issues that might throw you out of compliance with local, state, and federal housing codes
- An opportunity to minimize legal liabilities and avoid hefty fines
- Evidence of deferred or unreported maintenance
These regular safety checks provide peace of mind for both you and your tenants in Gardena.
Don’t wait for a complaint to arise. Be proactive by scheduling regular inspections. Once you’ve let your tenants know when you’re coming, put together a detailed checklist that will cover all aspects of what the inspection is likely to include. This will be a detailed look at your property’s structural integrity, electrical systems, plumbing, fire safety, and even environmental hazards.
Safety is a priority for us, and we know it can feel like an overwhelming responsibility for landlords in Gardena. If you’d like some help with safety features, contact us at Real Property Management Choice. We’ll make some suggestions customized for your unique rental property.
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.
