You might be contemplating whether or not to permit your tenants to use a grill if you own Honolulu single-family rental homes. You may not want to allow grills on your property for a variety of reasons, including the fact that they pose a significant risk of fire damage and injury and leave greasy messes. The tenant’s ability to enjoy living in your rental property should be taken into consideration when weighing these risks. A tenant who disregards your requests out of frustration and brings a grill onto the property anyway can be a problem if you forbid grills. Before deciding whether to allow your tenants to have a grill, it is important to consider both the benefits and drawbacks.
Barbeque grills and smokers are very popular in American culture. Seven out of ten adults in the United States own one. Unfortunately, according to the National Fire Protection Association, grills cause an average of 10,600 home fires per year. In addition, approximately 20,000 individuals visit the emergency room each year due to grill-related injuries. Gas or propane grills, the most common type of grill on the market, are to blame for the majority of these fires and injuries. Clearly, there are compelling reasons to forbid grills on your property just based on the risk of injury or fire.
The potential mess they can create is another disadvantage of allowing grills. Ashes are produced by charcoal grills, and all grills tend to leave greasy messes on a deck or patio. If your tenant does not know how to thoroughly dispose of ashes or clean their grill with the appropriate cleaners, they may cause property damage. Many surfaces are difficult to clean of grease, and ashes left outside in the wind can coat the outside of the house. Both messes are hard to tidy up. Additionally, the heat from a grill can cause damage such as melting vinyl siding, scorch marks on wooden decks or railings, and other things. You might think it’s best to tell your tenant they can’t have a grill on the property because it can be difficult to predict whether they’ll use it responsibly and take care of it well.
Nevertheless, allowing your tenants to have a grill has some benefits. Probably the greatest advantage of allowing grills is that it will make your tenants happy and facilitate good tenant relations. Given the widespread popularity of grills, allowing your tenant to have one may encourage them to stay in your rental property longer, because tenants want to feel at home in their rental.
When Honolulu property managers permit tenants to have a grill, it may also help avoid lease violations. It’s upsetting, but even if you tell your tenant they can’t have a grill, there’s a good chance they’ll bring one onto the property and then try to conceal it. Alternatively, you may want to consider allowing a grill with some common sense precautions. For instance, compared to other grill types, electric grills are safer and less likely to start structural fires. This is because aren’t any open flames on electric grills. Although having an electric grill may not be your tenant’s first choice, allowing it could help you keep a good relationship with them while avoiding the more significant risks that come with having a gas or charcoal grill. You might also consider giving them advice on how to maintain and clean their grill. In the long run, you may discover that reaching an amicable agreement regarding the grills is better for you and your tenant, particularly if it increases the chance that they will adhere to the terms of their lease.
In the end, your rental property, preferences, and circumstance will determine whether you should permit your tenants to have a grill. Regardless of your decision, it’s critical to build a strong bond with your tenant, include precise language in your lease, and respond to requests from your tenant in a timely and professional manner.
Would you like to know more about maintaining a successful Honolulu rental property and good tenant relations at the same time? Contact us online today or call us directly at 808-445-9500!
Originally published: March 12, 2021
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