Electric car fire risk in rental housing

[Kay March]

After reading reports of serious, damaging fires caused by electric car batteries, I'm considering disqualifying potential tenants who have electric cars and putting a clause in my lease prohibiting electric cars and stating that the tenant expressly assumes all risk of damage to the property arising from electric car fires. It's my understanding that these fires are highly unpredictable and there are no reliable prevention measures. Has anyone else taken steps to deal with this risk?

[Greg M.]

Nope. If you exclude someone or something for every risk out there, your rental pool will be zero. Your unit is much more likely to catch fire from smoking, cooking, candles, or an electrical short.

Exclude smokers. Prohibit candles. Convert wood fireplaces to gas or make them decorative only. Only allow BBQs 20 feet from the home. Require fire extinguishers in the kitchen, laundry room,  water heater room. But don't prohibit electric car owners. 

FYI, if I saw a rental ad and it said no one with an electric vehicle, I'd think the landlord was some  crazy conspiracy theorist.