During the winter, rental property owners must remember to perform additional maintenance. Other critical tasks must be completed to ensure that your rental property remains in good condition during winter, even though some people only think of seasonal tasks like storing outdoor furniture or turning off the irrigation system.
Continue reading to learn more about the most important winter maintenance tasks for rental property owners!
Winter Exterior Home Maintenance
One of the most significant winter maintenance tasks for rental property owners is to address any exterior damage that may have occurred during the summer. This could involve repairing cracks in windows or doors, replacing broken shingles on the roof, and fixing damaged siding.
Some noteworthy tasks for maintaining the exterior of your home include:
- Clearing any debris from the gutters and downspouts.
- Checking and repairing outdoor lighting.
- Covering intake vents with screens to keep rodents out.
- Cleaning and storing outdoor furniture and grills.
- Draining hoses and sprinkler systems and storing hoses neatly in a shed or garage.
- Cleaning and inspecting all fireplaces and chimneys.
Indoor Maintenance Tasks
It is necessary for rental property owners to execute many maintenance tasks indoors. Having a well-insulated home is also important for the winter months. In order to prevent drafts, this may entail checking and placing weatherstripping around doors and windows, adding insulation to basements and attics, and insulating pipes to keep them from freezing in freezing weather.
Some necessary tasks for maintaining the interior of your home include:
- Removing and storing any window-mounted air conditioning units.
- Servicing your HVAC system to ensure it is in good working order.
- Reversing the direction of your ceiling fans (counterclockwise is best for cooler weather).
- Checking the batteries in all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
Prevent Injuries and Property Damage
To keep your rental property in good repair during the winter months, it is essential to clear snow from walkways, driveways, and steps on a regular basis. This will make it easier to prevent slips and falls, which can result in injuries and potential lawsuits. To prevent ice buildup, make sure you have shovels that are adequate for the job, a plowing service, and bags of snow melt, salt, or sand.
It’s also important to watch your rental property’s roof and gutters during winter, especially in areas with heavy snow or freezing temperatures. Repeated thawing and freezing cycles can cause significant damage to a roof and lead to flooding or other water damage. If not dealt with immediately, ice dams, which develop when snow melts and refreezes on the roof, can cause significant damage. To prevent costly emergency repairs, it is advised to hire a professional to inspect and repair your roof right away.
Keeping on top of these winter maintenance tasks will help keep your rental property safe and comfortable for your tenants and prevent damage or expensive repairs.
Additional Winter Maintenance
Regular maintenance tasks are essential to keeping your rental property’s HVAC system in top operating condition. Among these responsibilities is the need to change the air conditioning filter in your rental property at least once every three months. Why? Because the system has to work harder and use more energy to overcome the airflow restrictions caused by a filthy filter. The system’s efficiency can be increased, and you can reduce energy costs, by changing the filter frequently.
Enjoy a free of concern winter! The best way to ensure the safety of your rental property year-round is to team up with a reputable property management firm. If you own property in Lawrence or the surrounding area and want to know how Real Property Management Faith can keep it safe and in good repair for the upcoming season, contact usimmediately. Call 317-219-4363 or send an email to contact us.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
