The holiday season is here!

And while community managers and board members are probably thinking about decorations, community events, and year-end projects, there’s one more thing that should be on the list:

Risk management.

The holidays are some of the brightest weeks of the year, but they also bring plenty of opportunities for preventable accidents and insurance claims.

Jamie Hackwith, who handles most of the commercial claims here at Prendiville Insurance Agency, recently wrote an article for CAI San Diego Chapter’s Community Insider Magazine on this very subject.

And Jamie knows a thing or two about what can go wrong.

After more than 20 years as a Community Association manager and now working on the insurance side, she’s seen firsthand how seemingly small oversights can lead to outages, slip-and-falls, property damage, and those dreaded frantic after-hours calls.

So, in the spirit of the season, here’s a preview of some of Jamie’s advice for avoiding your own Nightmare Before Christmas.

Holiday Lights? Leave Them to the Professionals

We get it. Holiday lights make everything more festive.

But when it comes to decorating common areas, this is one project that should not be left to board members, community staff, or enthusiastic volunteers with a ladder and an extension cord.

Hire a licensed electrical contractor.

A professional can properly size electrical loads, use listed outdoor components, and install the appropriate protections against electrical shocks, fires, and nuisance trips.

In other words, let the professionals make things merry and bright.

The association should also require a Certificate of Insurance from the contractor naming the Association and Management Company as Additional Insureds, with completed operations coverage.

A beautiful holiday display is great.

A beautiful holiday display that is installed safely and properly insured is even better.

Homeowners Love to Decorate, Too

Of course, the association isn’t the only one putting up lights.

Residents love to decorate their homes, balconies, patios, and entryways. But depending on the type of community, there may be limits on what residents should be attaching decorations to.

In condominium communities, exterior walls and roofs are often maintained by the Association.

That means penetrating fasteners should be prohibited. Instead, encourage residents to use clips, removable hooks, and other temporary attachment methods that won’t damage Association-maintained surfaces.

And there are a few things residents should never be doing:

• Accessing roofs to install decorations
• Running electrical cords through windows
• Stretching cords across sidewalks or walkways
• Using installation methods that damage Association-maintained property

Even in PUDs, where homeowners may be responsible for maintaining their own structures, these same basic practices can help reduce electrical problems, property damage, and trip-and-fall hazards.

There’s a Right Order for Winter Projects

Here’s something that’s easy to overlook:

The order in which you complete seasonal maintenance matters.

Planning should begin well before winter, with bids reviewed and approved in advance whenever possible.

Actual work is best scheduled for early fall, giving the community plenty of buffer before the holidays and winter weather arrive.

Jamie recommends following a pretty simple sequence:

Trees first. Roofs and gutters second. Holiday lights last.

Start by trimming trees and addressing branches that could create problems.

Then inspect and clean roofs and gutters.

Only after that work is complete should holiday lighting be installed.

Think about it: the last thing you want is to carefully install holiday lights and then have a tree contractor or roofer working around them.

And don’t assume you’re finished once the lights go up.

After the first significant storm, schedule a re-secure visit so the contractor can check connections, tighten cable ties, and make sure everything is still safely in place.

Hosting a Holiday Party in the Clubhouse?

Community holiday parties are a great way to bring residents together.

They also introduce additional liability concerns.

When residents rent the clubhouse for private events, require proof of insurance naming the Community Association for the event date.

And if alcohol is going to be served?

That’s when you need to be particularly careful.

Consider using a licensed vendor that carries liquor liability coverage and employs trained servers.

The goal isn’t to take the fun out of the party.

It’s to make sure everyone can enjoy themselves without creating an unnecessary risk for the Association.

Don’t Let the Little Things Become Big Claims

That’s really the theme behind Jamie’s advice.

Many holiday losses don’t begin with some enormous, unpredictable event.

They start with little things.

An extension cord across a walkway.

An overloaded electrical circuit.

A homeowner climbing onto a roof.

A candle left unattended.

A storm loosening holiday decorations.

A guest leaving a clubhouse party who really shouldn’t be driving.

Individually, these things can seem minor.

Until they’re not.

After more than two decades managing communities and now seeing claims from the insurance side, Jamie’s advice is rooted in experience with both the mistakes that have caused problems and the practices that actually work.

A little preparation can prevent a lot of those frantic after-hours phone calls.

And isn’t a quieter holiday season something every community manager would put on their wish list?

There’s More to the Story

This is only a preview.

Jamie’s full article, “Avoiding the Nightmare Before Christmas: Practical Holiday Risk Management for Community Associations,” covers even more seasonal risks and practical solutions, including:

• Landscaping considerations
• Pets during holiday events
• Candle and open-flame risks
• Additional clubhouse safety considerations
• Creative ways to help holiday party guests get home safely

The full article appears in the Winter 2025 edition of CAI San Diego Chapter’s Community Insider Magazine.

So before the lights go up and the holiday parties begin, take a few minutes to think about risk management.

A little planning now can help keep the season merry, bright, and hopefully free of any insurance nightmares.

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