Ask Landlord Hank: What Should I Do If My Tenants Want A ‘Kiddie’ Pool

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Ask Landlord Hank: What Should I Do If My Tenants Want A ‘Kiddie’ Pool at my rental

A landlord’s tenants want a kiddie pool in the backyard of the landlord’s rental so that is the question for Ask Landlord Hank. Remember Hank is not an attorney and is not offering legal advice.

Dear Landlord Hank:

My tenants want to have a “seasonal” kiddie pool in my backyard rental. What is my liability? Do I need to have a legal rider to my lease stating terms?

– Denise

Dear Landlady Denise,

Swimming pools are a wonderful luxury for a rental, even a kiddie pool. But you do have liability, as the owner. A couple of questions:

  • Is your yard fenced in?
  • Is the pool going to be emptied after use, or kept full of water?

You definitely need to have an addendum to your lease, as a pool heightens the risk of personal injury or property damage, especially to children. The tenant would have to agree to take all necessary and reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of anyone that comes to the property.

You also need to call your homeowners’ insurance company and see if a pool is allowed or if your insurance could be canceled if a pool were known to be there.

Sincerely,

Hank Rossi

A landlord's tenants want a kiddie pool in the backyard of the landlord's rental so that is the question for Ask Landlord Hank.
Landlord Hank says, “You definitely need to have an addendum to your lease, as a pool heightens the risk of personal injury or property damage, especially to children.”

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I started in real estate as a child watching my father take care of our family rentals- maintenance, tenant relations, etc , in small town Ohio. As I grew, I was occasionally Dad’s assistant. In the mid-90s I decided to get into the rental business on my own, as a sideline. In 2001, I retired from my profession and only managed my own investments, for the next 10 years. Six years ago, my sister, working as a rental agent/property manager in Sarasota, Florida convinced me to try the Florida lifestyle. I gave it a try and never looked back. A few years ago we started our own real estate brokerage. We focus on property management and leasing. I continue to manage my real estate portfolio here in Florida and Atlanta.