Landlords: 3 Tips To Prevent Cigarette-Related Fires In Your Apartments
As a landlord, you might always be worried about something in regards to your apartment complex. Not only do you have to worry about your property itself, you also have to worry about the safety of all of the people who live in your units. One thing that you might be concerned about is a potential fire, including one that is caused by a careless smoker. Luckily, there are a few ways that you can help prevent cigarette-related fires in your apartments. Try these tips so that you can cross one of your worries off of your list.
1. Ban Smoking Indoors
There are so many reasons to ban smoking inside of the individual apartment units. Not only can smoking cause immense amounts of property damage to a unit and can cause complaints from tenants, but you also have to worry about the potential of a tenant leaving a cigarette somewhere or falling asleep with a cigarette, putting himself or herself, your property and everyone in the building at risk. Make sure that you include it in your lease and inform your tenants that you do not allow smoking in your units to help cut down on this potential problem.
2. Create Safe Designated Smoking Areas
It is smart to create safe designated smoking areas on your property. After all, some of your tenants are likely to smoke anyway, so it's a good idea to create a safe place for them to do so. Pour concrete or use gravel or sand in the area; avoid mulch or straw, which can become dry, or grass that can dry up during dry conditions. Make sure that the smoking area is reasonably far away from any apartment buildings, and also, include large ashtrays that will not easily burn. Along with helping to keep smoking contained to a safe area, designated smoking areas also help keep the apartment complex free of cigarette butts and help prevent other tenants from having to come too close to the smoke.
3. Install Proper Fire Monitoring Equipment
Make sure that there are functioning smoke detectors in each unit; not only is this required in most areas and is essential for other fire-related issues, but it can also help discourage or catch indoor smokers and can clue someone in if a cigarette starts a fire in a unit. Installing a fire monitoring system in each unit and throughout the building is also a good idea to help keep everyone safe from cigarette-related fires or any other type of fire. If you don't have fire alarm monitoring, contact a company like Fyr Fyter Inc.