Tis the Season: Should You Let Your Hudson Renters Hang Christmas Lights?

Putting up Christmas decorations is a time-honored tradition for renters and homeowners alike. Many tenants want to adorn their eaves and windows with strings of lights, adding a cheerful twinkle to long winter nights. However, hanging up Christmas lights on a house is a lot more difficult and dangerous than putting up other kinds of holiday decorations. You cannot always be confident with what the end result will be, as everyone has different notions of what may be regarded as a tasteful holiday display. For multiple reasons, Hudson property owners and landlords should have second thoughts before letting their renters hang Christmas lights themselves.

Consider the Risks

There are more than 1,000 serious injuries created by hanging Christmas decorations each year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Falls, electrical shocks, cuts, and abrasions severe enough to send people to the emergency room are only some of the latent risks of hanging lights.

Another liability risk involves ornaments that violate the rules of Common Interest Communities (commonly known as Homeowner Associations) and other local governances. A CIC, in particular, may have strict rules that indicate the type, quantity, and duration of Christmas decorations. Only the kinds listed in the CIC may be used, and you cannot go beyond the stipulated limit of the number of decorations. You also cannot put them up too early or leave them on too long as many CICs also regulate how long decorations can be displayed. If your tenant violates CIC regulations, you may find yourself on the hook for fines, disciplinary action, or other unwanted consequences.

Making sure that your property is in compliance may mean that you need to prohibit renters from hanging their own Christmas lights. While no one wants to kill the Christmas spirit by being a holiday grinch, there is a great liability when tenants do their own Christmas decorating. This is not something property owners can afford to leave to chance. This is why it is important to discuss and summarize what you consider are appropriate holiday decorating guidelines with your renters.

In Conclusion

No matter the season, it’s important to oversee your properties carefully, a service that is a necessary function of the Real Property Management Metro West-Worcester move towards property management. Our expert property managers comprehend the worth of completing regular property evaluations and keeping your tenants out of harm’s way and in compliance with their lease. If you have any questions, please contact us online or call us at 508-329-6000 today.