As the owner of single-family rental homes in Brooksville, the chances are high that one day, one or more of your tenants will ask to have a trampoline in the yard. Allowing trampolines on your rental property is yet another decision that you will need to make, and it is a serious decision. There are many reasons why a tenant would want a trampoline, which may tempt you to answer yes. However, there are also good reasons not to allow trampolines on your rental property. Before making a decision, it is a smart thought to understand both the risks and benefits of allowing your tenants to have a trampoline.
Trampolines are a popular choice for those living in single-family dwellings. There are lots of positive benefits to jumping on a trampoline: it offers both fun and healthy exercise, improves coordination, and encourages muscle growth. Many people use trampolines to help develop skills used in other sports, for example, gymnastics, diving, and even ballet. A trampoline can give hours of entertainment and keep energetic youngsters occupied. Trampoline manufacturers also try to make trampolines safer, with safety nets and in-ground options built to reduce certain types of falls and injuries.
Yet, statistics show that even with safety precautions, some of these benefits come with serious risks. Most landlords and property owners prohibit trampolines, and it is for a justifiable reason. In the U.S., trampolines cause about 100,000 injuries every year. Moreover, between 2002 and 2011, more than 1 million people wound up in the emergency room with trampoline-related injuries. Almost all of these injuries were things like broken legs and arms, but it can be much more serious. Fractured ribs, sternum, spine, and head are all common injuries caused by trampolines, several of them even result in permanent neurological damage.
Trampolines could also become a hazard in other ways. When the trampoline isn’t properly maintained or starts to rust, it could quickly become a real eyesore. Having a trampoline in a grassy yard makes yard maintenance much more difficult since the trampoline must be moved each time the lawn is mowed. When the trampoline stays in one place too long, there is a good chance that it will kill off the grass underneath. Sometimes tenants don’t have the means to move or get rid of a defective or damaged trampoline, and then they leave it to deteriorate in the yard. That heap of junk then becomes your problem once they move out.
Because of many downsides, it’s no doubt that trampolines are often viewed as such a big liability. Even though you have a lease addendum that assigns full responsibility to the tenant if they choose to get a trampoline, that is no guarantee against future litigation.
Nonetheless, it’s vital to consider at least whether your tenant might feel that having a trampoline (or not) is a deal-breaker. Their long-term satisfaction with the rental property is important to your long-term success, and so denying any request should be done carefully and for a good reason. For this purpose, to avoid future hurt feelings and disappointment, the decision of whether or not to allow trampolines on your Brooksville property is something that should be made early and communicated clearly to your tenant in the lease documents.
If you need help managing tenants or creating lease agreements for things like trampolines, hire a trusted Brooksville property manager like Real Property Management Connection. We make life easier for you and your tenants. Contact us online or at 352-428-2316 today.
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