As the owner of single-family rental homes, the likelihood is high that, one day, one or more of your tenants will ask to have a trampoline in the yard. You will also have to make the important choice of whether to permit trampolines on your rental property.
There are many reasons why a tenant would want a trampoline, which could make you want to let them have it. But there are also good reasons not to allow trampolines on your rental property. Before you decide, you should think about the risks and benefits of allowing your tenants to have a trampoline.
Trampolines Are a Common Backyard Feature
Single-family homes often have trampolines. They offer a fun exercise that improves coordination and muscle growth. They help develop skills for sports like gymnastics and diving, and keep the active kids busy for hours. Manufacturers have enhanced safety with nets and in-ground options to reduce falls and injuries.
However, statistics show that these benefits come with serious risks, even with safety precautions. Most landlords and property owners prohibit trampolines, and for good reason.
Why Trampolines Can Become a Liability for Landlords
In the U.S., trampolines lead to approximately 100,000 injuries each year. Most of these injuries involve broken legs and arms, but they can be much more serious. Broken ribs, sternum, spine, and head are all common accidents that can lead to permanent neurological damage.
Trampolines can also be harmful. If they aren’t properly maintained or develop rust, they are likely to look bad. Having a trampoline in a grassy yard makes yard maintenance much more difficult, as the trampoline must be redeployed each time the lawn is mowed.
If the trampoline stays in one place too long, the possibility is high that it will kill off the grass beneath. On occasion, tenants don’t have the means to move or get rid of an old or broken trampoline, leaving it to deteriorate in the yard. That heap of junk then becomes your accountability once they move out.
Knowing all the bad things about trampolines, it’s not surprising that they are seen as a significant liability. Even if you have a lease addendum that gives full liability to the tenant if they select to acquire a trampoline, that is no guarantee against future litigation.
Setting Expectations Early to Avoid Future Disputes
Nevertheless, you need to consider whether your tenant might feel that having a trampoline (or not) is a deal-breaker. Their long-term satisfaction with the rental property is critical to your long-term success, so denying any request should be done carefully and for a sound reason. As a result, to avoid future hurt feelings and disappointment, you should decide early on whether to let your tenants have trampolines on your property and make that clear in the lease documents.
If you have difficulty managing tenants or making lease agreements for things like trampolines, hire a trusted Fort Worth property manager like Real Property Management 360, we’ll make things easier for you and your tenants. Contact us online or at 817-502-3588 today.
Originally Published on July 3, 2020
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
