What is SurgeShield for Landlords

The responsibilities attached to owning, maintaining, and renting out a property are significant. As any landlord will agree, investing in property is not the same as playing a game of Monopoly. There are real consequences to your decisions, and indecisiveness or making the wrong choice could be costly. One of those choices is maintaining the property, which is necessary to draw renters.  Maintenance is also crucial to maintaining a tenant’s right to a habitable home under Florida law, even for landlords who don’t require a signed lease.

Just as landlords have certain rights under the law, so do tenants, specifically the right to withhold rental payments¹ for specific maintenance issues. Landlords can maintain their property investment without being threatened by allotting 10% to 15% gathered in rental fees for maintenance². Unfortunately, if the property incurs damage from a power surge created by wayward lighting, the 10% to 15% allotment may not be enough to cover damages, especially if one or more appliances are destroyed in multi-unit apartments. What if you could help stop the power surge from entering your property through the electric meter and help protect washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, air conditioners, and other major appliances?

Landlords, who enroll in the SurgeShield® program offered by FPL Home, help protect their property investment. The SurgeShield program places a state-of-the-art surge protector directly at the electric meter of your home. Even if it were possible to use plug-in surge protectors on large appliances, they wouldn’t be as effective against large power surges.

The SurgeShield device helps stop surges of power from entering your home’s electrical wiring before damages can occur. It also comes with a $5000 limited manufacturers’ warranty, per covered appliance, per occurrence if the device fails to perform correctly.

Enrolling in the SurgeShield program could save a property owner thousands of dollars in repair or replacement damages. Not only will you keep your tenants happy, but you’ll also be pleased. Since you won’t have to dip into the 10% to 15% of monies set aside for maintenance, you may be able to use some of it to increase curb appeal or for other property upgrades.

It’s worth looking into the SurgeShield program. The program can benefit a busy and cost-conscious landlord. Call 800-811-9216 to learn more or to enroll.

¹ https://caretaker.com/learn/habitability/rent-withholding-laws-in-florida

² https://www.fortunebuilders.com/rental-property-investment/