Spanish Fork House Fire – Part 1

This new feature on UDK’s blog will discuss disasters we have cleaned up for the good people of Utah. We will highlight preventative measures that you can take to help keep damages to a minimum to your home or business.

Today we will be discussing a house fire at a home in Spanish Fork

What Happened?

Having investment properties such as owning homes as rentals can be an excellent way to build assets and wealth. However, they do require proper insurance, maintenance, code upgrades, in addition to finding renters that cover the costs and expenses.

The owners of this property lived outside the state and were very hands-off with the tenants. Multiple families were living at the property, and unfortunately, no one had rental insurance, otherwise known as personal property insurance.

Renters insurance covers all kinds of personal property a renter may own inside a home, apartment, storage unit, and more. Property typically covered are items like clothes, food, furniture, jewelry, electronics, etc. Basically, anything that is not a part of the structure. If renters do not have personal property insurance, they can lose everything in the event of a fire and walk away with nothing.

It’s an unfortunate and all too common situation. Rental insurance is very affordable, and we suggest everyone that rents to make sure they have adequate coverage for their belongings.

Many people resided in the home, including multiple families, as the tenant was renting rooms to non-relatives. One night in December 2020, a fire was accidentally started by one of the residents in one of the basement rooms that quickly spread. Everyone was evacuated from the home, but tragically, one person later died from injuries from this devastating incident.

Here are some tips to help keep your rental property safe and adequately insured.

1. Keep the property up to code: Examples of code issues can be structural, such as foundations, roofs, windows, floors, and walls. Electrical like wiring, breakers, and proper outlets (Don’t forget that many people will more than likely overload an outlet with things like extension cords, space heaters, etc.) Gas furnaces and waters heaters need to have proper ventilation for carbon dioxide, and any leaks need to be addressed.
2. It never hurts to have a home inspector go through your property to find concerns that can cause problems in the future. A proper home inspection can be beneficial if you plan on renting out the property.
3. As a landlord, you are legally required to maintain a habitable space for your tenants. Hiring the right help can make a big difference for the safety of the residents and keep the property’s value up.
4. Ensure old homes are properly insured for code upgrades, which can be a high cost to comply in getting a property up to code. Have a conversation with your agent periodically to ensure you have adequate coverage for the property.
5. Update your homeowner’s policy to keep up with market costs of the replacement and properly cover property in the home. Property such as; special tools, collectibles, firearms, and jewelry may require additional coverage.
6. If you are renting out a property, consider hiring a property manager. Hiring a property manager can be a great option if you don’t live close to the property or you don’t want to be bothered with sudden issues or maintenance it may require.

Consider requiring renters insurance.

You can help avoid the heartbreak of seeing someone lose everything and reduce the risk of any litigation that may arise from a disaster. Renters should carry property insurance to cover any losses, so they do not have to walk away losing everything.

Please take a look at a few of our other social media posts for tips and tricks in forming a plan. You can check out a previous story we shared on a different cleanup here.

To learn more about how UDK restores fire damage check out our Fire Damage Restoration and Repair page!

If you have questions, you are always welcome to call our non-emergency line for more information on how we can clean up any disaster your home has encountered, big or small!