Do You Have An Emergency Plan?

 

As a community dealing in property management on a variety of levels, we are reminded by Hurricane Sandy how crucial it is to have emergency planning in place before it is required.  Understanding your properties and the unique risks they have is crucial for successfully navigating disaster.

 

In the wake of Sandy, New York City's Housing Authority still has 21,000 tenants spread out in 114 building without power and in serious danger.  Many of these tenants are elderly and disabled and are stranded without the ability to get food, water or medication.  Without the loud voices of volunteers and concerned neighbors, many of these overlooked people stand the very real risk of dying.  Thankfully, the word is out (see The New York Daily News.)

Property Managers, Realtors and Landlords can prepare for a variety of disasters by taking simple steps now.  An excellent place to start your plan is to head to FEMA’s website and look through their plethora of planning worksheets and suggestions for families and businesses alike.

After you have your emergency plan in place, empower your tenants to have their personal plans as well.  Some landlords even request a copy of their tenant's emergency plan.  Some go as far as sending copies of these collective plans to someone in another part of the country. In our property managment software, we offer tools for Propety Managers, Landlords and Tenants to access a file library where these documents can be safely stored and accessed around the world. Sound like overkill?  Maybe while all is calm, but what a life-saver in the face of chaos.  

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Janell K. is a member of Rentec Direct, a web-based property management software program offering Landlords and Professional Managers tools for tracking income and expenses,payment processing , tenant screening and online advertising.