Nothing says Halloween like a glowing jack o’ lantern. Though they are iconic and widely used at this time of the year, jack o’ lanterns can create serious safety risks to tenants and rental houses alike. As a Lewisville rental property owner, it is vital to advise your tenants what to carry out in order to avoid fires and injuries. By sharing a few safety tips, you can help your tenants to relish their holiday celebrations without accident or injury.
Jack o’ lanterns are common holiday decorations which are regularly situated on porches, patios, and railings, and are traditionally lit with small candles. Although having carved pumpkins next to doorways, walkways, and other easily accessed areas can result in several safety hazards. As an example, carved pumpkins can deteriorate in just a few days, creating a slimy mess of rotting pumpkin that can make stairs and sidewalks slippery. Pumpkins can, furthermore, draw hornets and other pests, insects that will sting or bite if disturbed.
Adding candles to a jack o’ lantern is another safety issue, specifically when the pumpkins are placed too close to doorways where the costumes or clothing of visitors could catch fire. From year to year, Halloween decorations cause an estimated $13 million in property damage, dozens of injuries, and even deaths. The good thing is that there is a lot you and your tenants can work on to hinder such a disaster.
Among the best ways to prevent pumpkin-related messes and spills is to put a limit on the period of time that carved pumpkins are left sitting outside. The longer the pumpkin is exposed to the weather, the sooner it will start to rot or attract unwanted pests. If your tenants are arranging to carve and display pumpkins, persuade them to hold up until just before Halloween to set them outside, and then to properly dispose of them straight away. This can aid in keeping doorways and walkways free of stinging insects and slippery spills.
One other way would be to urge your tenants to carve hardshell gourds or craft pumpkins in place of the real pumpkin. Gourds don’t break down and rot as pumpkins do, which implies they can safely be exhibited for far longer durations. Craft pumpkins look like the real thing, but nonetheless, are formed out of foam or other materials that endure for a long time. These can additionally be carved or decorated and displayed safely year after year given that they absolutely do not deteriorate or get ruined.
Even though these measures can be helpful to diminish many risks, probably the major safety issue with jack o’ lanterns is when they are lit. Candles have been, for a very long time indeed, the illumination source of choice for carved pumpkins, nevertheless, their open flames can create a serious fire hazard. If, in any case, your tenants want to have candles in their decorations, be sure that they understand why they need to have necessary preventive measures.
Tenants should clear away dry leaves and other debris from the area where lit pumpkins will be placed. They should also comprehend the seriousness of never leaving lit candles unattended, and put them at a safe distance from doorways and walkways. Definitely, one of the safest ways is probably to urge your tenants to take advantage of an alternative lighting source, such a glow sticks, which are non-flammable, do not use batteries or electricity and are weatherproof. Glow sticks can also be used to illuminate craft pumpkins, unlike candles which should never be used in these decorations.
Carving and displaying jack o’ lanterns is an enjoyable part of Halloween, but only if it is executed securely and safely. Informing your tenant on jack o’ lantern safety is a vital responsibility, but one that requires time to do. If, as everyone says, time is precious, then you could well ponder if tenant education is a better usage of your precious time. Alternatively, take into account enlisting Real Property Management of the Triad to fulfill it for you. Our comprehensive property management services include important safety advice to your tenants, letting you keep them and your property free from injury and fire hazards. To discover more with regards to what we have to give Lewisville property owners like you, feel free to contact us online or by phone at 336-355-6677 or 336-777-7444. We’ll be glad to answer any of your questions.
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