Residents
Owners
The holiday season is a time of fun and festivities. It’s also when we decorate our homes, which is an enjoyable and creative task in itself. But, for tenants, the freedom to deck their abode becomes limited. The rental property owner or the homeowner’s association (HOA) may impose rules on holiday decorations.
In this blog post, we compile the common rules when decorating a rental property during the holidays. Read this for a safe holiday decoration (and to avoid the ire of your HOA!).
Observe Fire Safety
If you’re going to have Christmas lights in your rental property, never buy substandard ones. Also, you have to install them properly. Don’t overload electrical sockets and extension cords with too many lights.
Some HOA neighborhoods only allow a few or zero outdoor lights for holiday decorations, especially in communities prone to wildfire. Make sure to review the HOA rules regarding this matter.
Opt Not for Massive Decorations
Large holiday decorations can ruin the look of the neighborhood. Hence, most HOAs ban them. So, if you have a penchant for flamboyance, you must hold back your tendency for extravagance to avoid annoying your HOA. Instead of installing a huge outdoor Christmas tree or lantern, opt for a subtler yet aesthetically appealing decor.
Put the Christmas Tree in a Safe Place
You should know that some Christmas trees are flammable. You should avoid house fires and buy a Christmas tree made of PVC or other flame-resistant material. Instead of buying a real tree, choose an artificial one. Moreover, put your Christmas tree far from heaters, fireplaces, and candles to prevent it from catching fire.
Say No to Bright and Noisy Decor
Probably, you have seen those Christmas lights that belt out jolly holiday tunes. Nobody can deny they’re cute and fun to watch and hear, but your HOA might not like them, especially if it’s too loud. HOAs may only allow you to play holiday music within a certain period of time to avoid disturbing the peace of the neighborhood.
Bright holiday decorations can also be restricted as they can ruin the aesthetics of the neighborhood. Only choose decorations that don’t emit dazzling light.
Enforcing Guidelines on Decorating a Rental Property during Holidays
As a landlord, you should inform your tenants about the rules on holiday decorations imposed by the HOA. If you don’t want trouble with the HOA, your tenants must strictly follow the guidelines.
Here are some tips for landlords on how to enforce HOA rules on holiday decorations.
Educate Your Tenants
Before signing the lease contract, a landlord should inform the tenants about all the rules that must be followed within the property and the neighborhood. It’s the responsibility of the landlord to fully disclose the dos and don'ts to clear up any misunderstanding or confusion.
You can give tenants a hard copy of these rules, or you can upload it to an online portal to make these guidelines accessible to them wherever they go.
Explain the Rules for Holiday Decorations
A landlord should be familiar with HOA rules on holiday decorations. By reading and explaining to tenants these rules, he should make them understand that the HOA made these guidelines to keep the neighborhood clean and its inhabitants safe.
Holiday decor like Christmas lights can be a fire hazard that can damage properties and harm people. As a landlord, you should understand these HOA rules to explain clearly to your tenants what they need to know.
Set a Timeline
Some tenants want to install holiday decorations early in December, and others want to keep them up till the new year. There are still others who want to keep the decor through most of the year or fail to take it down for whatever reason.
Your HOA must have a rule on when the inhabitants of the community can put their holiday decorations and when they should remove them. As a landlord, you can set a timeline for your tenants according to HOA rules.
Do an Inspection
Expect that some of your tenants won’t go by the rules. The solution to this problem is to schedule an inspection. Inform your tenants about the inspection, so they can have enough time to make their holiday decor right.
If there are tenants who break the rules, you should tell them about it. You can also set a penalty for whoever fails to follow the guidelines.
Takeaway
Yes, it's exciting to put up decorations during the holidays. However, tenants must abide by HOA guidelines regarding this matter. The rules on holiday decorations must be followed to keep the cleanliness of the community and the safety of its inhabitants.
Landlords should educate tenants about HOA rules, set a timeline for putting up holiday decor, and do routine inspections to ensure the rules are followed.
