Tis the Season: Christmas Trees and Your Baxter Rental Property

Families getting together for the Christmas season is a common sight to behold during this time of the year, along with social gatherings, beautiful gifts, and twinkling sights make Christmas even more special for everybody. For many, seasonal decorations wouldn’t be complete if a beautiful Christmas tree, complete with lights and ornaments are missing. Baxter rental property owners know that like many others, their tenants also want a Christmas tree as part of their holiday celebrations.

Although decorations are not always the reason for concern, Christmas trees are notably different because of their extremely flammable nature. Coupled with electrical sparks or overheating cords, a dry Christmas tree can turn into a roaring house fire in less than a minute. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), home fires started by Christmas trees average 200 per year. Every year, these fires cause an average of $14.8 million in property damage, 16 injuries, and six deaths.

As the property owner, it is crucial to address basic fire safety tips to your renters even before the start of the holiday season. While prohibiting Christmas trees altogether is likely not an option, there are some relatively easy things your tenants can do to protect themselves and your rental home from the risk of fire.

The American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA) offers some safety precautions that can significantly decrease the risk of your tree catching fire. These precautions include:

• Get a fresh (real) tree or an artificial tree. Fresh trees are considered safer because of their inherent fire resistance. Artificial trees are also much more reliable than real trees are since they won’t dry out over time.
• Water your fresh tree consistently. Fresh trees must be watered frequently and detached instantly after the holiday or as soon as the needles begin to drop.
• Position your tree away from heat sources and open flames, such as fireplaces, candles and heat vents.
• Use safety-tested lights and throw out any damaged light sets.
• Turn off the Christmas tree lights before going to bed or leaving the home. Leaving the lights on all night or while away increases your risk of fire.
• Keep an up-to-date fire extinguisher nearby in the event that sparks or flames do appear.

Making sure these Christmas tree safety tips with your tenants in Baxter are communicated properly can protect your rental homes and help everyone enjoy a safe and peaceful holiday. With Real Property Management Deluxe by your side, we can guarantee that these safety precautions are shared with your renters and that all holiday decorations meet basic safety guidelines. For more information about our full-service property management services, please contact us online or call us at 218-454-7962.