All around the country, people eagerly anticipate the arrival of Memorial Day and the promise of summer that it brings. Through the years, Memorial Day has come to mean holding a barbecue or gathering with family and friends. Most likely, your residents will also celebrate Memorial Day with a social event of some kind.
It’s important to know what can be done to keep things under control in terms of social gatherings in your Poquoson rental homes. Learn more about the top three things you need to know about Memorial Day parties in their rental homes.
1. Put It in the Lease
It could be a challenge to make sure that your residents’ Memorial Day events do not become large gatherings 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? Having the answers to the questions can help you define the direction your resident’s parties go before they even happen.
The maximum number of party guests, noise levels, and other details can all be addressed in your lease documents. Your lease documents must be worded to explicitly limit the number of people allowed on your property, with larger numbers requiring special permission. There are no specific numbers, but “no more than 10 for fewer than four hours” is a usual choice.
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.
If 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 language should clearly state if these are allowed or not.
3. Renters Insurance and Renters Legal Liability
You must always ensure 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. Many places in the U.S. are opening back up. However, most areas still restrict gatherings to a certain number of people. Remind your Poquoson tenants to 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, make sure that you act promptly and decisively to hold your residents accountable.
You do not have to do all of this by yourself. At Real Property Management Dominion, 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 757-395-4274 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.
