As good as most apartment complex management teams are at keeping their properties safe, they sometimes miss things. If you want to make sure you’re as safe as possible in your Orlando rental, it’s wise to have an idea of what to look out for. Being aware of potential health and safety hazards and reporting them if they are found might just even save a life.
So, what should you keep your eyes open for and when should you report potential problems? Let’s take a look. These are some of the top safety hazards found in homes, apartments, condos and other accommodations for living:
Lack of fire extinguishers – Most apartment homes come equipped with at least one fire extinguisher courtesy of management. If there isn’t a properly dated fire extinguisher in your kitchen, contact your apartment’s maintenance team to see if they have one to provide you. Also, in buildings with long halls, there should be extinguishers readily accessible. In addition to checking to see if extinguishers are present, keep up with inspection stickers, too. Outdated extinguishers don’t always work as they should.
Sprinkler issues – Not all apartment structures are going to have fire sprinkler systems like buildings that were constructed before stricter fire codes were enforced. When searching for an apartment, if sprinklers are a high priority on your list, avoid older structures; newer buildings are required to have sprinkler systems.
Smoke detectors - Test all smoke detectors in your apartment to make sure they are operating correctly. Talk to your maintenance team about replacing batteries in those that do not test correctly. If smoke detectors are entirely non-existent in an apartment, ask your landlord or complex manager about this because they are required by law to have smoke detectors installed in multi-dwelling complexes. In fact, most leases prohibit residents from disabling or repairing smoke detectors in their apartments. Let maintenance handle it.
Parking issues – Parking lots are very often loaded with safety hazards. Some of the things to watch out for here include poor lighting, a lack of handicap parking and even improperly sized spaces. Again, take up concerns with management. In the case of handicapped parking, city or county officials will be able to help you because the apartment complex is violating the American’s with Disabilities Act by not providing wheelchair access or handicap parking.
Structural concerns – If you notice loose stairs, have locks that don’t work and other similar issues, it’s always wise to take them up with complex management. Chances are these things will be fixed rather quickly. No management team wants to deal with issues that can arise from slip-and-fall accidents or break ins that could have been avoided.
Health concerns – A main health concern to look out for in an apartment is mold. In large quantities, mold can be toxic and cause allergic reactions and respiratory infections. Sometimes mold can be hidden in air vents, under carpets or in the walls. Finding mold is a serious concern and should be reported to your apartment manager immediately. If the apartment manager refuses to clean it up or tries to hide the presence of mold by painting over it or covering it up, make a report to your local health department. There are ways to prevent mold growthby keeping Your apartment well ventilated and using mildew/mold fighting cleaners when cleaning your bathroom and kitchen.
Health and safety hazards are not normally a concern in an Orlando apartment complex. Still, it can pay to keep your eyes open for problems. Reporting them to management should result in action in most cases. Chances are the management team will happily remedy any issues that are serious in nature.
{ 0 comments… add one now }