Adequate Lighting Is a Liability Control, Not Just a Utility Bill

Part of the Insurance Warehouse HOA Risk Management Series: five short guides for association boards and property managers. A printable one-page version is at the end of the article.

Adequate lighting means enough light for a person to safely do what they are there to do: walk to a car at night, climb a stairwell, find a unit entry, or read a sign. When lighting falls short, slips, falls, break-ins and vehicle accidents all become more likely, and the association’s share of the blame grows with them.

Why it matters

• Poor lighting is a common thread in premises claims. Someone misses a curb, a step or a pothole they would have seen in daylight.
• Dark corners and unlit landscaping give people with bad intentions a place to wait. Millions of crimes a year happen in parking lots.
• Residents notice. A well-lit property feels safer, shows better, and supports property values.

Where lighting is needed most

• Parking lots and garages. Poor lighting hides cracks, wheel stops, curbs and oncoming vehicles, and makes it hard to judge distance.
• Stairways, interior and exterior. Dim stairs make it hard to judge step height and depth, which leads to bad falls.
• Landscaped areas and shrubbery along walkways, entries and building corners, where concealment is the risk.
• Building entries, mail areas, trash enclosures, corridors and elevators.

Lighting checklist

• All exterior common areas are lit: doors, walkways, vehicle entrances, parking areas and landscaping.
• All interior common areas are lit: corridors, stairwells, elevators, laundry and storage rooms.
• Someone is assigned to walk the property after dark on a set schedule and report burned-out or damaged fixtures.
• Photocells and timers are checked twice a year, especially after the clocks change.
• Replacement bulbs and a way to reach high fixtures are on hand, or the property manager has a vendor on call.

Printable version