Land & New Construction
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback
Updated over 4 years ago, 05/13/2020
Renovation/Legal Questions Hand Rails!
Could anyone help with 2 questions regarding handrails as well as safety of a "landing area" see picture below for reference. Rental property is located in New Hampshire
1. Does a staircase with two supporting walls on both sides need to have a stair rail? It did not have one before but in trying to put one up (shown below) it's not very sturdy because it's an older house and it was nearly impossible to find any studs to drive into for safety.
2. The area to the left at the top of the stairs is a weird landing area but seems like it could be unsafe if someone were to stand there or try to store items there. Does there need to be anything there (a railing of some sort) so a tenant cannot access it? Should I write something in the lease?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Chec your local building code. NFPA 101 life safety code, Building codes and fire safety codes.
AFAIK, New Hampshire follows the the IRC (The International Residential Code) for hand rails: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2018P3/chapter-3-building-planning (section R311.7.8) ... but check with your local AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) to be sure.
The short story is, that handrails are required. There are very specific requirements on how they are installed. I found this site to be a good breakdown (in plain English) of the requirements: https://homeinspectorsecrets.com/carpentry/stairs/residential-stair-handrail-irc-code/
As for that little landing, I don't know what the codes are there. But I suspect your insurance company would have a conniption fit if they knew it was there and not permanently blocked off. Never minding insurance, it's really unsafe if there are pets or kids in the house ... for your own protection I would box it out so access was not possible.
Not sure if it is code but you should put a return piece on the top of the rail to the wall- keeps purses, jackets, etc from snagging on the top of the rail. Easy thing to add
@Joseph H. thanks for the information
@Matt Herbert thanks, I'll check out both links and also look into the insurance side of it as well.
@Will Stewart yeah, unfortunately that railing is not safe as it sits right now so going to need to redo that anyways but that makes sense. appreciate the feedback
Originally posted by @Anthony Simboli:
Could anyone help with 2 questions regarding handrails as well as safety of a "landing area" see picture below for reference. Rental property is located in New Hampshire
1. Does a staircase with two supporting walls on both sides need to have a stair rail? It did not have one before but in trying to put one up (shown below) it's not very sturdy because it's an older house and it was nearly impossible to find any studs to drive into for safety.
2. The area to the left at the top of the stairs is a weird landing area but seems like it could be unsafe if someone were to stand there or try to store items there. Does there need to be anything there (a railing of some sort) so a tenant cannot access it? Should I write something in the lease?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I wouldn't worry about it. That small rail on the left side is too narrow for anyone to stash anything there. I don't see anything in that area that screams negligence in any way, shape or form. if you just wanted to cover your rear, send a photo of it to your insurance agent and ask him in the email if you need to get any additional coverage for the stairway. That way, if anything totally bizarre happens, you can show that you asked.
Looks really nice, by the way.
@Account Closed thanks for all of the information. We will take that into account as well with the insurance company. Makes sense to be covered. Appreciate it!