More than a year after a fire at the Arrive Apartments on Georgia Avenue took the life of tenant Melanie Diaz, Montgomery County Councilmembers unanimously approved a bill designed to keep renters safer.
The bill, which was approved Tuesday, would require a lease to include specific information related to what the insurance covers, whether there is an automatic sprinkler system and what are the emergency safety plans.
The bill also would require a building representative be available 24 hours a day during emergency situations. Another provision includes a requirement that tenants must be notified of any essential services disruption, including broken elevators.
“I started writing this bill more than a year ago, after a fire took the life of Melanie Diaz at the Arrive apartment building, followed not long after by a power outage that put many elderly people at risk at The Grand in North Bethesda,” said Council Vice President Kate Stewart, lead sponsor.
“These kinds of dangerous incidents, and others my office looked into at the prompting of residents around the County, can be avoided by improving communication and emergency planning in multifamily rental properties,” she said, adding, “We can and need to make real strides to protect people where it matters most – in their homes.”
A small number of residential buildings account for a high fire call volume. These owners now must submit a plan how they will deal with reducing the number of calls emanating from their building, explained Councilmember Kristin Mink.
A high call volume often means there is insufficient maintenance and repair work going on, she said. It also results in some tenants ignoring yet another fire alarm when they really need to evacuate, Mink said.
Also, noted Councilmember Evan Glass, when rescue workers go out on a false alarm, they are not available for true emergencies.
The bill requires managers to clearly and rapidly communicate information to tenants during emergencies. Managers must also spell out what tenants are insured for if their possessions are damaged through fire, smoke or water.
