Whether you are a property owner or a renter, you want a building or home to be safe, secure and livable. For these reasons, having a property management company that represents both parties and is bound by state rental laws is paramount. Having a property management company like T.J. Guyer, who prioritizes the safety of tenants, is important.
“Our goal is to protect and ensure the safety of our residents and owners from liability,” says Sheila of T.J. Guyer.
The Top 3 Ways T.J. Guyer Keeps Properties Safe
- Routine Smoke Alarm Replacements
Something that many people are not aware of is that smoke alarms should be replaced when they are 10 years old (or sooner if they don’t work correctly when tested). This is a recommendation by fire safety organizations. It doesn’t matter if you have religiously changed the batteries, after 10 years, they may no longer safely detect smoke. In addition, even if they are hard wired, they need to have battery back-up.
Photo courtesy: TJ Guyer
“One of the things we do every time a tenant moves in or out, is to test the smoke alarm and provide new batteries,” says Sheila. “Every smoke alarm is tested in their presence during the move in inspection. This gives the owner and tenant peace of mind while complying with state law.”
This comes from a passionate place, she adds. When a renter has a fire, whether the smoke alarm is working makes a huge difference in the outcome. The state law says that you must have working smoke alarms in all homes, so T.J. Guyer has this protocol in place to make sure the alarms work for every person that moves into one of the properties they manage.
At move in, the tenant signs a form agreeing to test the smoke detectors monthly for proper operation and to report any malfunction to the T.J. Guyer office. If a smoke alarm battery is removed, the fire marshall can issue a $200 fine. The fire department requests that all residents change the batteries every six months, on the days designated for daylight savings.
Along with the smoke alarms, the company makes sure that carbon monoxide detectors are installed and working in every unit, even if the home does not have gas. This became state law in 2013. “Carbon monoxide can also be detected from a source other than gas, like a wood stove or exhaust from a vehicle,” Sheila adds.
- T.J. Guyer Only Hires Certified Technicians
When something does break or go wrong, who does the repairs can really impact safety. For this reason, T.J. Guyer only hires certified technicians for electrical, heating and most appliance work.
War-Mur Electric is one of the companies T.J. Guyer contacts for their electrical repairs. They have worked with them for about six years and have a close working relationship.
War-Mur performs service upgrades, house rewires and troubleshoots, replaces or repairs outlets, heaters, and lights that may be overheating or having other issues. War-Mur also handles emergencies, including fixing meter masts after trees have hit them in storms and knocked out the power or checking a panel that may need to be changed.
“Emergencies are always a priority,” says Denise Nelson, owner of War-Mur Electric. “These jobs are scheduled with T.J. Guyer and the tenant ASAP. If a tenant is out of heat or power, they are top priority and we will be there as soon as possible to fix the problem.”
T.J. Guyer has been so impressed by War-Mur’s work that they rely on them to regularly provide their electrical repairs. And they aren’t alone. One of their main technicians, Jeff Olson, is a licensed O2 Wireman (residential and telephone) and is known very well by the community. “We get people requesting him,” says Denise. “So many, in fact, that sometimes we have to tell people he isn’t available.”
- Perform Walk-Throughs of Each Unit Twice a Year
Lastly, T.J. Guyer is so committed to safety that they regularly perform inspections on almost all of the properties they manage twice a year to make sure no safety or maintenance is being missed.
“When I say walk-through, a lot of people are afraid of that because they think we are being nosy, but we are looking for problems such as a deep-in-the-wall plumbing issue that maybe the tenant might miss,” explains Sheila. “Or caulking around the bathtub. It doesn’t take long for water to seep through that and into the subfloor, and now you have rotten subflooring. We are looking for small things that cause big problems for both tenant and owner.”
They inspect the outside of the property for issues as well. Things like the roof, siding and gutters, and dangling tree limbs, for example. What they do helps the property owners feel protected and renters feel safe and secure in the place they call home.
For more information about T.J. Guyer, visit their website, Facebook page or call 360-748-4683.
For more information on War-Mur Electric, visit their website, Facebook page or call 360-736-9907.
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