Property Management

The sill plate of a structure rests directly on top of the foundation. If the sill plate is not securely anchored, an earthquake can cause it to slide with respect to the foundation. When this occurs, there is a greater potential for severe damage as well as injury to you and others.Therefore, landlords, real estate owners and rental property owners should bolt sill plates to foundation to protect their families and their tenants or occupants.

One way to increase the stability of your property and reduce earthquake damage is to have the sill plate bolted or otherwise anchored to the foundation. Bolts should be long enough to pass through the sill plate and penetrate several inches into the foundation are installed every few feet along the base of the exterior walls. This method is not limited to cripple wall construction; it can also be used for a structure built on a basement or slab-on-grade foundation or on another type of crawl space foundation.Therefore, landlords, real estate owners and rental property owners should brace the cripple walls to protect their families and their tenants or occupants. Also, tenants should inform their landlords, rental property owners about bolting plates to foundation as a precautionary measure.

BENEFITS OF UTILIZING THIS MITIGATION STRATEGY

• Helps to prevent a structure from shifting, which can result in severe damage
• Helps to prevent injuries to occupants and tenants

TIPS
Landlords, real estate and rental property owners-Keep these points in mind when you have the sill plates bolted to the foundation:

• Modifications to the foundation must be done by a licensed contractor, who will ensure that the work is done correctly and according to all applicable codes. This is important for your safety.
• Anchor bolts are usually installed no more than 6 feet apart. The work involved is likely to be extensive and may require that portions of the walls or floor be cut away temporarily.
• Your contractor may be able to recommend an alternative anchoring method based on other approved fasteners or connectors that can be installed with fewer changes to your property and less work.
• If your property is built on cripple walls, you should consider bracing them after the sill plates are bolted. For more information, refer to the separate earthquake protection post titled
  

  https://apps.simplifyem.com/property-management/landlord-tenant/landlords-tenants-real-estate-and-rental-property-owners-guide-to-brace-cripple-walls-to-protect-from-earthquakes

ESTIMATED COST
Having a contractor bolt the sill plates to the foundation will cost approximately $50 to $75 per bolt, depending on the type of foundation you have. For example, a structure measuring 60 feet by 30 feet would have a perimeter of 180 feet and would therefore require a minimum of 30 bolts (if the bolts are placed no more than 6 feet apart). So the cost for that structure would be about $1,500 to $2,250.

Source: FEMA.gov

Your backyard—your piece of the environment—is an ideal place to practice the 3 Rs. It is also the place where the impact of your efforts can be most visible. Landlords, tenants and rental property owners should use the following ideas to incorporate the 3 Rs into their backyard activities.

• Greenscape your lawn. Greenscaping is a set of landscaping practices that maximize the health of lawns and plants while minimizing the environmental risks posed by some traditional practices. Greenscaping promotes the use of bio-based and organic products, native plants, and sustainable water management to prevent soil erosion, water runoff, and other negative consequences of traditional landscaping. Best of all, it’s easy to do.
• Buy recycled. Purchase lawn furniture, decking, and other outdoor products that contain recycled content. These items include welcome mats made from recycled flip-flops, birdhouses crafted from reclaimed wood, or patio furniture made from recycled plastic. Buying recycled-content products makes it economically viable to collect recyclables and conserve resources.
• Create a compost pile of your organic, biodegradable kitchen waste and apply finished compost to your lawn and garden. Composting does more than improve the quality of your soil: it keeps carbon from entering the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas, diverts waste from landfills, and eliminates the creation of new waste by reducing the need to purchase fertilizers and pesticides.

Source: epa.gov

Every day, you have the power to help your community, now and for years to come.

Landlords, tenants and rental property owners should learn to practice the 3 Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle. You will conserve natural resources and prevent climate change. Most important, you ensure that future generations have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, as well as forests, fields, and beaches to enjoy.

Where do you start? Reduce the amount of waste you produce. Buy only what you need and use. Then, instead of throwing something away, reuse or recycle it. You probably already reuse your children’s clothes and shoes when they outgrow them. You pass them along to family or friends, sell them at a yard or garage sale, or donate them to charity.

What about things you cannot reuse? That’s where recycling comes in. Recyclable items are collected, reprocessed, and used again to make new products. Make throwing an item away a last resort—when
it cannot be reused or recycled.

Practicing the 3 Rs makes a difference. Recycling just one can, donating just one old cell phone, or even buying just one product with reduced packaging is an act of good will for the environment and your community. This guide offers tips on how to incorporate the 3 Rs in the kitchen. It shows how your choices can make a difference, now and for years to come.

The kitchen is the center of your home or rental property. Start with small changes here to make it the core of your reducing, reusing, and recycling habits. Here are some ways to reduce the amount of waste you produce, reuse what you can, and recycle items that might normally end up in the trash.
•Compost organic waste. Peels, skins, and trimmings from fruits and vegetables; coffee grounds; egg shells; tea bags; and lots of other kitchen waste can be combined to make compost, which you can use as natural, organic fertilizer on your lawn and garden.
•Recycle food packaging. Most community recycling programs accept cereal and cake mix boxes, beverage bottles and cans, and steel soup, vegetable, and fruit cans. Learn the different materials your community’s recycling program accepts at www.Earth911.org.
•Buy in bulk or concentrates. Buying bulk sizes of the products you use often or in large quantities saves you money. Bulk and concentrated goods also come with less packaging, which prevents waste.
•Choose fresh and local instead of packaged food. When you buy fresh produce, you not only enjoy food that tastes better and is often healthier, you eliminate cans, boxes, or bags that you have to throw away or recycle.

While Practicing the 3 Rs in the kitchen, landlords, tenants and rental property owners are contributing great effort towards the community and aiding the environment.

Source: epa.gov

During an earthquake, large pieces of furniture such as tall bookcases and file cabinets can fall on you or others. Toppled furniture can also block exits and prevent you from escaping. Anchoring furniture so that it remains upright not only helps prevent injuries but also helps protect both the furniture and its contents. Landlords, real estate owners, tenants and rental property owners should anchor tall bookcases and file cabinets to prevent any injuries during an earthquake.

You can anchor large pieces of furniture in several ways. A bookcase can be anchored with metal “L” brackets and screws along its top or sides (either inside or outside) or with screws through its back.

BENEFITS OF UTILIZING THIS MITIGATION STRATEGY

• Helps to prevent toppled furniture from falling on occupants Helps to prevent toppled furniture from blocking exits and preventing escape from a structure Helps to prevent damage to furniture and the contents of the book cases and cabinets

TIPS
Landlords, tenants, real estate owners and rental property owners- Keep these points in mind when you anchor large pieces of furniture:

• Make sure that all anchoring screws penetrate not just the wall but the studs behind it as well. Screws embedded only in drywall or plaster will pull out. Regardless of the anchoring method you use, the screws should be long enough to extend at least 2 inches into the wall and studs.
• Before anchoring a bookcase with screws through its back, make sure the back is sturdy enough and that it is securely attached to the sides, top, and bottom. Some bookcases have backs made of very thin materials that are held in place with only small screws or staples that can easily pull out. Those bookcases should be anchored with brackets.
• If you have two or more bookcases or file cabinets that sit next to each other, consider connecting them to one another as well as to the wall. They will be even more stable if you do.

Source: FEMA.gov

Landlords and Tenants in Louisiana- Many leases require that requests for repairs be made in writing. Regardless, all requests should be made in writing and/or in the presence of witnesses. Tenants are strongly advised to keep a record of all maintenance problems, repairs and failures to repair.

The landlord must maintain the property by making all necessary repairs. The tenant is responsible for the damages caused by his fault, the fault of his guests, and those exceeding normal wear and tear.

If the repair cannot be postponed until the end of the lease, then the tenant must allow the landlord to make these repairs, even if they are an inconvenience. However, a reduction in rent may be possible.

If the landlord refuses to maintain the property or to make necessary repairs after being notified, the tenant has several options:

•The tenant can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section.
•If there is a structural or hazardous defect, then the tenant can complain to the local building officials.
•If a serious problem is ignored, then the tenant may terminate the lease. Terminating the lease requires substantial proof of the landlord’s failure to perform his/her obligations. Terminating a lease without sufficient cause will result in serious financial and legal consequences. Therefore, the tenant should seek legal advice before terminating a lease due to improper maintenance.
• Louisiana law allows tenants to pay for “necessary” repairs and to deduct the repair cost from the rent due or demand immediate reimbursement from the landlord. In order to deduct repair costs, tenants must be able to prove each of the following:

A) The repairs were necessary.
B) The landlord failed to act within a reasonable time after being notified.
C) The price paid was reasonable.

The tenant should keep copies of estimates, letters, receipts and other documents which support his/her case.

Source: Louisiana landlord and tenant guide.