If the insurance company says a railing is missing on the stairway: fix it, take pictures, document it.

Moved stairways, cut rafters, and joined or replaced.

For the top of stairways, you can get battery operated, motion sensing lights that will come on in the dark - warning guests that they are getting close to a stairway. 

The intent is to leave the upstairs as-is, clean the carpet and repair the carpet on the stairway (see photos below).This is a rental property and I don’t want to over renovate.Scope of Work Details/Estimate: (first pass, before getting inside the property or getting contractor bids): Drywall (Walls) floated & taped all-in @ $7500Insulation all-in @ 1500Paint all-in @ 3000Flooring Install/Carpet Repair all in @ 3500Floor Baseboard all-in @ 1000 Door Jam/Trim all-in @ 750 Kitchen Cabinets all-in @ 5000Kitchen Countertop all-in @ 1500Kitchen Sink/Faucet all-in @ 300Dishwasher all-in @ 600Fridge all-in @ 350Stove all-in @ 350Bathroom Vanities (x1) all-in @ 800Bathroom Shower (x1) all-in @ 3000Bathroom Toilets all-in @ 300HVAC all-in @ 5000 (left in as contingency - HVAC operating OK)Hot Water Heater all-in @ 800 (left as contingency - Water heater operating OK)Interior Doors all-in @ 2000Interior/Exterior Lighting all-in @ 1000Electrical all-in @ 1000Plumbing all-in @ 1000Misc all-in @ 10000 (being my first flood house and limited inspection performed, I'm leaving $10k missed scope/overruns) Project Coordinator all-in @ 1800TOTAL @ 52,000Listing Photos

I should probably add that this stairway is not required for egress.

Right now we have been basing all our costing for servicing and hard construction on a blend of sqf costs from previous projects AND quotes from 2-3 sub trades to compare... however, sometimes our builds are unique (ie. 3 storey apartment building with 12 units and exterior walkway/stairway) Any recommendations on how to refine our preliminary budgeting other than running around between sub trades for quotes? 

ADA requires that a disabled tenant that wants to say, adapt a bathroom or stairway, be allowed to do so at their own expense, and then return the property to the original condition upon vacating.  

You could modernize it, keeping the external historic charm, but the inside layout is not geared for modern living -  20' wide grand stairway w/ 16' ceilings just isn't practical in this day and age.

The stairway to our room is in my office on the first floor across from our guest room.

In order for the property to be habitable, it must have all of the following: a) Effective waterproofing and weather protection of roof and exterior walls, including unbroken windows and doors.b) Plumbing facilities in good working order, including hot and cold running water, connected to a sewage disposal system.c) Gas facilities in good working order.d) Heating facilities in good working order.e) An electrical system, including lighting, wiring and equipment, in good working order.f) Clean and sanitary buildings, grounds and appurtenances (for example, a garden or a detached garage) which are free from debris, filth, rubbish, garbage, rodents and vermin.g) Adequate trash receptacles in good repair.h) Floors, stairways and railings in good repair.In addition, the rented property must have all of the following:i) A working toilet, wash basin, and bathtub or shower.