Renovation/Legal Questions Hand Rails!

[Anthony Simboli]

Could anyone help with 2 questions regarding handrails as well as safety of a "landing area" see picture below for reference. Rental property is located in New Hampshire

1. Does a staircase with two supporting walls on both sides need to have a stair rail? It did not have one before but in trying to put one up (shown below) it's not very sturdy because it's an older house and it was nearly impossible to find any studs to drive into for safety.

2. The area to the left at the top of the stairs is a weird landing area but seems like it could be unsafe if someone were to stand there or try to store items there. Does there need to be anything there (a railing of some sort) so a tenant cannot access it? Should I write something in the lease? 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Originally posted by @Anthony Simboli:

Could anyone help with 2 questions regarding handrails as well as safety of a "landing area" see picture below for reference. Rental property is located in New Hampshire

1. Does a staircase with two supporting walls on both sides need to have a stair rail? It did not have one before but in trying to put one up (shown below) it's not very sturdy because it's an older house and it was nearly impossible to find any studs to drive into for safety.

2. The area to the left at the top of the stairs is a weird landing area but seems like it could be unsafe if someone were to stand there or try to store items there. Does there need to be anything there (a railing of some sort) so a tenant cannot access it? Should I write something in the lease? 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 I wouldn't worry about it.  That small rail on the left side is too narrow for anyone to stash anything there.  I don't see anything in that area that screams negligence in any way, shape or form.  if you just wanted to cover your rear, send a photo of it to your insurance agent and ask him in the email if you need to get any additional coverage for the stairway.  That way, if anything totally bizarre happens, you can show that you asked.

Looks really nice, by the way.