Apartment rental fires typically happen without much fanfare. But just because we don’t hear about them often doesn’t mean they don’t happen on a regular basis. According to the National Fire Prevention Association, there are an estimated 100,000 apartment fires each year. Boston is an old city with an aging housing stock that is often prone to fires for numerous reasons. As the weather gets colder, older drafty apartments often use space heaters and these can often cause fires to occur. There are still lots of outdated electrical systems in many older multifamily properties and they can be quickly overloaded when someone plugs too many items into one power strip.
Most Greater Boston landlords don’t spend much time worrying about what to do if a fire breaks out at their rental property. Property owners are often far more concerned with other things that preoccupy their time (finding tenants, collecting rent, snow removal, landscaping, routine maintenance, etc.) and can get distracted on fire prevention and proper preparation should one occur.
Landlords simply can’t ignore the fact that fires happen. And when they do, you need to be ready to respond. Here’s our best advice about what to if a fire damages your rental property.
Start by Collecting Information
We’re going to assume the fire has already occurred. Firefighters were called and the fire has been put out. Now what? We recommend collecting as much information about the fire as possible. You’ll want this information when making a claim with your insurance company.
Interview residents to learn what may have caused the fire. Some people might be tempted to cover up the cause, particularly if they were engaging in an activity in violation of their lease. The truth will eventually come out, so encourage residents to be straightforward. It’ll make everyone’s life easier.
Just don’t be accusatory. It’s very possible that the fire was accidental. It may have been caused by faulty wiring,…