(Flickr Photo via Sherlock77 (James Tworow))
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Students in Lawrence will no longer be able to hang out on couches on their front porches. The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday passed a citywide ban on upholstered furniture on porches, decks and patios. The city says landlords, not tenants, will be fined for violating the ban at rental properties. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that fines will start at $100 per day. However, the city will conduct an educational campaign for several months before the ban is enforced. The fire department says there had been only 10 fires involving upholstered outdoor furniture since 2007. But Fire Chief Mark Bradford said the fact that upholstered furniture burns easily made its outdoor use dangerous, particularly with the lack of smoke alarms on porches.