Tenants and Swimming Pools: Is the sign by the pool stating children cannot be left unsupervised against regulation?
Question
If it is a violation to single out children, then is the sign I have in front of my pool stating that any child under the age of 10 not be left unsupervised against regulation?
Answer
No, because there are activities in which a person under a certain age will have a higher risk of injuring themselves. It is not safe for a child to be swimming unsupervised, so in this case it is perfectly legal.
Huge Liability
The fact is owning a swimming pool that is for others to use is a huge landlord liability in of itself. We all know the potential dangers of unsupervised swimming and nobody wants to get sued for an injury or worse have the death of a child on our conscious. On the other hand, a pool can be a great feature to keep your rental units in demand and supervised swimming can make for a fun summer. The best thing a landlord can do is protect himself from every angle.
Supervision
In addition to posting signs that require children be supervised in the pool, random check ins are never a bad idea to be sure the rules are being followed.
Swimming Pool Addendum
A swimming pool addendum is never a bad idea either. Like any addendum, you’re getting the tenant to agree to and acknowledge your rules. Get access to our Swimming Pool Addendum along with others in our Form Bundle.
Clean and up to Code
Like any asset you want to be sure that your pool is kept clean and up to code. It’s only an attractive feature if people want to use it. Some landlords choose to let the tenants maintain the pool and this can be a good option with regular inspection. Never just assume they’re doing what they’re supposed to. Costly repairs from improper maintenance defeats the purpose of avoiding a cleaning service to save money.
A tenant just asked me if it was ok for them to set up a kiddie pool in the backyard. One of them hard plastic “tubs” that you fill up and dump at the end of the day. What are my responsibilities as a landlord in NJ? BTW the claim they have renters insurance and I asked them to send me a copy.
Thanks in advance
You shouldn’t have to worry about any “regulations” in terms of the kiddie pool. But most landlords require the pool be set up on the driveway or a patio, because they destroy all of the grass underneath.
If you want to be overly cautious, you can always have them sign a Pool Addendum that would outline items like supervision of children and hold you harmless for any injuries. We offer that in in our Landlord Form Bundle but I’ll email you a free copy to use.
We had these tenants who loved to have pools and pool parties. They requested DH for a small pool several times until he got people from Ferrari Pools of Toronto for swimming pool construction. The “Ferrari Pool” officials did a great job in making us feel at ease and also we did not get overcharged ( which BTW we were afraid a little bit about). The tenants have moved but we still love the pool and it gives us the perfect pool ambiance. We did not have any boards though. But I think it is indeed a good idea.
Should the tenant or tenants include the homeowner on there renters insurance? This of course regarding the pool
Absolutely John! Even without a pool it’s a good idea to have the homeowner listed on the policy and many landlords require this now.
I have a good friend who owns an insurance company and talks about the additional coverage renter’s insurance provides as being critical. So I would make it a policy for your renters for sure.
I would like to know if there are any insurance companys that will cover a pool .I need to get insurance so if anyone is swimming an gets hurt that the landlord will not be liable.im the renter an it has a 6 foot fence an the gates are 7 foot with padlocks on them