Importance of Apartment Deck Inspection | SB-721

The responsibilities of a landlord should include accommodation and safety of his tenants. Other than that, a landlord should also focus on regular apartment deck inspection to ensure everything is in shape.

Duties and Responsibilities

As a landlord, you are expected to keep the home of your tenants safe. So you are inclined to provide your tenants with a secure place to live. Therefore, you must know how to secure the property by installing security locks or cameras in conspicuous locations.

When a previous tenant moves out, you need to ensure that the locks have been replaced before a new one moves in. At the same time, you must not allow repairmen to work unsupervised inside the apartment of the tenant. Obviously, this could lead to claims of robbery.

Additional carbon monoxide or smoke detectors must be in place in case of emergencies. Moreover, you should make sure that your tenants feel safe outside the building. This includes the repair of any broken step or unstable handrail in order to keep the surroundings free from hazard.

Comfortable Environment

It is expected by your tenants that their home is safe, but it should also be quiet. This must be enforced when you are screening potential tenants wherein they should be respectful of others. Therefore, there should be a strict implementation of quiet hours that should be free from loud music or noises after a particular hour.

Clean Surroundings

If you are the landlord, you need to ensure that the apartment is clean. Part of your job is to maintain the property as a whole. This includes the removal of trash daily, which should be agreed upon by the tenant and the management.

This also includes the elimination of pests around the property. You may hire a professional to do this or you can do this yourself if you can manage. So you need to prioritize apartment deck inspection on a regular basis to keep the property safe. Of course, it is part of your responsibility to respond to tenant requests promptly.

Apartment Deck Inspection

Aside from being mandated by law, apartment deck inspection is part of your responsibility as a landlord. Needless to say, your tenants would want to see apartment decks when they live there and even make prospective tenants want to check it out.

According to Senate Bill 721, elements to be inspected would include elements such as balconies, decks, entryways, porches, stairs, and walkways. That if they extend beyond the exterior walls of the building. Moreover, that would be 6 or more feet above the ground with stability and support from wood or wood-based products.

Therefore, you need to do a regular, annual inspection to ensure that these decks can be used safely by tenants’ family and friends. Take note that past collapses of exterior decks and failed railings have resulted in the loss of life if not severe injuries.

Your responsibility is to allow licensed structural pest control operators, general contractors, architects or engineers to inspect your apartment deck, porch, stairs, or balcony and other attachments. Allowing licensed professionals to assure the safety of your tenants will guarantee that you will never run out of tenants.

Deck Inspectors for Southern California is happy to offer our services in Los Angeles, Orange County as well as San Diego and all Southern California surrounding areas like: Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Santa Monica, Anaheim, Temecula, Vista, Escondido, Carlsbad, and El Cajon