5 Tips to Protect Your Commercial Real Estate from Tenant Fire Damage This Holiday Season

10/26/2021 (Permalink)

Prevent Fire Damage on your Commercial Property this Holiday Season.

The holiday season is now upon us, and with upcoming family gatherings, home cooking, and festivities, fire damage can become a more serious concern.

Experiencing commercial fire damage can be devastating to the well-being of your business, not to mention your reputation in the community. Learn how to prevent that kind of damage with these five tips for protecting your commercial real estate from tenant fire damage.

Bring Awareness to the Danger of Fires During the Holiday Season

Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day, the day before Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve. Cooking equipment was involved in one of every five home decoration fires according to this article by the National Fire Protection Association.

Consider sharing these statistics in an email to your commercial property tenants along with additional fire prevention tips, or upcoming fire safety checks to tenants. 

Schedule Fire-Safety Checks

If your commercial real estate property has tenants, then you should schedule fire-safety checks for them at least once a year. Doing so could save your property and your tenant lots of money and inconvenience down the road.

If you have not done so yet, consider scheduling a smoke alarm test, fire extinguisher checks, and Fire Sprinkler tests before Thanksgiving. A tenant’s fire can cause substantial damage to surrounding areas, which is why it’s best if fires are prevented before they have the chance to spread.

Remind Tenants of Responsibilities & Expectations During the Holiday Season

Holiday parties are good for business, but they can also cause some problems. While it’s important to ensure your tenants are enjoying themselves, you should also make sure that your tenants know what they’re allowed and not allowed to do in terms of decorations. If you allow decorations, make sure that they’re safe; if you don’t allow them, it’s important that your staff knows that too. When left unchecked, tenant-placed holiday decor can become hazardous quickly.

Another good idea is to remind tenants to review their renter's insurance policies before the holiday season and document personal belongings. This reminder can also be a great way to improve customer service for your tenants.

Talk to Your Insurance Agent to Ensure Policy Coverage

If you own a commercial building, your insurance agent is your number one source for learning about commercial building restoration and policy coverage. Agents with experience in commercial property damage can walk you through what types of coverage you have. They can also help explain the potential scenarios in which you should consider calling a large loss restoration contractor like SERVPRO of Houston County.

With a bit of planning ahead of time, taking swift action in a crisis is a little easier!

Create Fire Action Plan

Commercial buildings are more likely than residential properties to have fires, and smoke can spread quickly through open hallways. To protect your tenants and property, consider creating an easy-to-follow document that spells out what actions everyone should take in case of fire or other disaster. You can make one with Google Docs or another online platform.

SERVPRO of Houston County provides a great, free program for our commercial property owners and managers called an Emergency Ready Profile. This could help serve as an important part of developing your fire action plan. For more information on obtaining your Emergency Ready Profile, please contact us at: 478-224-4148

Conclusion

There are many ways that you can be proactive about fire safety. However, if a fire does happen at your property, make sure you have an experienced large loss restoration company on your side. For more information or for assistance with restoring your commercial real estate after a fire, contact us at 478-224-4148 today.