Furnace Out Plans

[Arnie Guida]

Years ago another landlord told me he kept one of those stand up infrared room heaters around to keep a tenant happy until his furnace guy could get there to fix the problem if a furnace went out.

Last night, while all fat dumb and happy watching tv, the call came at 8:30 from my 4plex that they had no heat. I went over to check it out, (I live within 5mi of all of my bldgs) and took along a room heater. The furnace problem was beyond my abilities, so I called my furnace guy, who's been with me for years, and wanting to stay on his good side, told him it was no emergency, that could he come over tomorrow to fix it, that I'd given them a room heater and that they'd be ok overnight (they have small kids). It got into the mid 30's here in MKE last night.

I did feel kind of smug solving the problem this way, but was trying to think of the downside. Bad plan trusting a tenant with a room heater? Possible fire? I guess...

Opinions?