Your liability coverage may also come into play if the injury is shown to have occurred due to negligence on your part, i.e., failure to maintain safe conditions on your property by not properly keeping it free of ice. Both scenarios involve a complicated legal process and hurt your standing with your insurer. All of the above is particularly important if you are also an owner.
Facing the odds of a tenant sustaining an injury due to poor property maintenance is a surefire way of tackling legal problems and landlord liability insurance claims. Make sure the tenancy agreement (lease) you provide to tenants makes it clear whose responsibility it is to shovel snow and clear ice. Read on Ninja De-Icer for simple tips on snow and ice removal whether you are the landlord. Or not:
Check The Weather Forecast Regularly
It is important to follow the weather forecast to be adequately prepared mentally and in terms of necessary supplies for sharp drops in temperature, snowstorms, or any other adverse weather.
Make sure you have everything you need to tackle snow and ice removal in advance
Nobody wants to find themselves having to find the necessary equipment to remove snow/ice at the last minute, right? If you own a rental property more than an hour away from home (or if you can’t remove snow yourself), hire a responsible person to do this task. Your gardener, for example, may offer services of this nature in winter, as gardening is usually suspended during the snow season.
Don’t wait for the snow to make arrangements in the “rush”: check out the contractor’s rates and any tasks that need to be addressed, and check them after any storms to ensure you’re ready.
Alternatively, a tenant may be willing to handle snow and ice removal for you in exchange for discounted rent or direct payment for that service. Make sure that all arrangements made are noted in case legal disputes arise and that you have to prove what was agreed between you.
If you’re doing all the work yourself, the simplest way to keep driveways and driveways clear of ice and snow is to shovel first thing in the morning and use salt like road salt near me often (maintenance when needed). Fresh snow is significantly easier to remove than a thick layer of heavy snow or snow that hardens into a layer of ice after sitting on your property for a few hours. Agents will also be most effective with thin layers of snow; therefore, get there as soon as possible and remove the accumulated snowflakes; this way, the work will be faster, safer, and more efficient.
Enlisting the help of teenagers (yours or others in the neighborhood) can also lighten some of the workloads, giving them an easy way to earn some extra cash. Whenever you clean the street, be vigilant to avoid tragic accidents, such as being run over by snow plows, especially if there are children around.
Do not leave children or other family members sitting in idling cars while shoveling or driving the snow blower to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. If snow blocks a vehicle’s exhaust, it will prevent the fumes from escaping properly, which will build up in the car and pose a lethal risk to anyone inside.
