Ask The Safety Guy: As a renter, how much do I babyproof?

Dana | Aug 16, 2009 | 0 | Posted in Baby Talk

Heather from San Francisco asks:

As a renter, how much can/should I babyproof?

I am frequently asked this important question, and my answer varies depending upon the age of your baby and the estimated length of your stay.  Notice I did not say that it depends upon your landlord or the type of home you are renting.  From the perspective of creating a safe environment for your child, age and length of stay should be the driving forces.

The age of your baby is a critical factor as the hazards evolve as a child grows.  Parents of a newborn who will be moving out in seven or eight months, probably do not have to do much baby proofing.  However, parents of a one year-old that will be staying eight or nine months should probably do a lot.  The reason being that many of the greatest dangers (hazards combined with a toddler's increased mobility) present themselves during this period.  A severe injury is the same whether it occurs while renting or owning, so it behooves us as parents to do what we can to prevent one from occurring.

The length of stay may also impact the level of baby proofing undertaken.  For example, latching cabinets is an essential safety precaution for any toddler, but a simpler latch (i.e. Gerber) may be used if the family will move prior to the child reaching say eighteen months of age.

Parents are occasionally hesitant to use hardware mounted gates when in a rental situation.  I strongly encourage them to rethink their reluctance for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, if done properly, installing a gate creates screw holes no larger than those required to hang a picture and are readily repairable.  Additionally, due to recent product developments, screw holes in finished wood surfaces are rarely necessary (see last month's column).  Secondly, a pressure mounted gate is simply inappropriate for top of stair applications (even by the manufacturer's instructions), so using a hardware mounted gate is absolutely necessary for any multi-level rentals.

Finally, the spirit of the California Fair Housing Act would support a tenant's right to make reasonable accommodations to enhance the safety of her family.  Thus, although landlords may not be thrilled to have you do some baby proofing, legally they cannot discriminate against you for having a baby nor should they dissuade you from creating a safe home environment for your family.

Submit your questions to pros@homesafety.net.  Martin Simenc, The Safety Guy, is the President of Home Safety Services, Inc., the Bay Area’s largest and highest rated baby proofing company.  They can be reached at 1-888-388-3811.  Previous columns can be viewed at www.homesafety.net.

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