Vacation home owners wishing to make a little money to offset ownership costs take note.
If you are not using a professional rental service (because they keep a large percentage of your income), bare this in mind short term rentals are stupid.
Just this week a fire was averted purely by luck...landlords read this story *PLEASE*.
A White Mountain New Hampshire condo owner booked their place on Craig's list, the tenant is coming from New York city and wants to enjoy a mountain vacation on the edge of the National Forest.
Upon arrival they find there is no grill at the condominium ( this should signal that they are not allowed in a multi-unit setting for fear of fires and insurance requirements) but wanting to "Cook out" for the smallest investment the tenants can make. They decide to Buy a Turkey Tin at the local grocery store, and a bag of charcoal. It never occurs to the tenant that placing a soon to be very hot aluminum object directly on Trex (extruded plastic) decking would be a bad idea.
= 
Luckily the melted deck material and cedar wood siding are put out before 8 occupied condos in the building are but a memory. The owner is notified by the property management company...about the incident and the pending fine for allowing "grilling" on the deck (which is strictly prohibited, in the bi-laws). The Owner says, I don't even know these people they are just renters...why should I pay their fine. Explain that argument to the other 7 property owners who missed losing their homes by a heart-beat.
We have a Volunteer fire department here and their motto is "We never Lose the Cellar Hole"...you were lucky this time. Maybe a list of rules posted somewhere could have prevented this near tragedy from happening, or an I.Q. test for renter...might be the next step. PENNY-WISE and POUND-FOOLISH...Assume tenants do stupid things and prepare a list of do's and don'ts...laminate it and mount it permanently.
Your White Mountain Real Estate Expert.
And Common Sense Realtor.
steve@alpinelakes.com / 800-926-5653
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