Owners of apartment buildings have a lot to juggle. Not only do they need to manage their employees, including those who perform maintenance and housekeeping tasks, but they also have to ensure that all of the utility bills get paid. Other things to worry about? Fire risk. With so many residents in so many apartments, the odds of something going wrong with a stove, electronic device, or the entire electrical system rise exponentially.
So, how can you reduce the risk of fire in your apartment building? Here are a few useful tips to help provide some peace of mind.
Preventative Measures
Although insurance (more on that in a minute!) can provide you with some protections should a fire break out in your apartment building, it’s crucial to put a number of measures into place to prevent fires as much as possible. Not only can these methods save your tenants’ belongings and your investment property, but they can also lower your insurance premiums.
- Fire Alarms – A building-wide fire alarm system will provide your tenants with (hopefully) plenty of notice to grab their crucial belongings and exit the building. These alarms can save lives, so don’t try to save money by putting in an inexpensive system. It’s even better if the alarm system is hooked up to your local fire department’s dispatch center.
- Sprinkler Systems – While sprinkler systems aren’t always mandatory, based on the building codes in your area, they can help put out a fire before it gets out of hand. This can stop a small fire in its tracks, as well as assist the fire department with larger ones.
- Fire Walls – Again, this is something that depends on local building codes. However, buildings that have thick brick walls in between apartments and floors can make it difficult for a fire to spread quickly, giving firefighters more time to extinguish it.
- Fire Extinguishers – It’s important to have working fire extinguishers in communal areas. Tenants can grab them quickly and put out small fires before they become larger ones.
Insurance Options
As far as insurance is concerned, there are several different insurance policies that you should have in place, including:
- Property Insurance – This type of insurance covers the building itself, including the outer walls and some inner walls, like those in shared areas such as hallways and lobbies. A property insurance policy will usually pay to replace, rebuild, and restore any parts of the building that have been damaged.
- Liability Insurance – Why did the fire start? If it began in a common area due to faulty wiring, you could end up getting sued by your displaced tenants. This is where liability insurance comes into play. It will pay any legal claims, depending on your deductible, that you’ve been found liable for. This policy may even cover attorney fees and other things, preventing you from having to pay a lot of money out of pocket to settle cases.
Have Questions? Contact Charlotte Insurance
Want to learn more about insurance for apartment buildings? Contact Charlotte Insurance. Our agents can explore and explain all available options and put together the insurance coverage plan your business needs.