How to Prepare a Rental Property for Winter

Winter brings a whole new period of change for a landlord. This should be your cue to carry out certain checks on your rental properties to avoid any sort of winter mishaps. The checks you do on the rental property can help you with a large range of things, from frozen pipes to stopping thieves. Take a look at the steps below on how to prepare a rental property for winter.

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Clearing Out Guttering

Autumn brings with it a lot of fallen leaves. Whilst they may look harmless, they can be a real nuisance for a landlord if left unattended. When fallen leaves collect in drains and gutters, they will cause a blockage. This is why it’s worthwhile to clean them out as winter comes to avoid any sort of water damage on the property.

Empty Rental Properties

When a property is left vacant for a long period of time, a lot of things can go wrong. Things like leaks, fires, and thefts are much more likely to happen in a property that has no tenants. In the winter, it’s important to keep checking in on your property.

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Outdoor Water Pipes

Pipes are very prone to freezing during the winter. Split pipes can cause a huge spike in water bills. A frozen pipe can go unnoticed in a rental property, especially if it’s unlet during the winter. Reduce the risk of frozen pipes in an empty property by turning the stop valve off. You should also open up the tap that’s on the outside of the property too. This allows any water to be released and gives remaining water the room to expand if it does freeze.

Talk to the Tenants

A landlord should always try to maintain a good relationship with their tenants. There’s a lot of property inventory software out there from suppliers such as https://inventorybase.co.uk that can help keep your property in good condition. It also allows your tenants to let you know if something is wrong. Provide your tenants with a direct contact number in the event of a winter emergency.

Boiler Servicing

A boiler should be serviced at least once a year. The heating is a much-needed commodity in the winter, so make sure your tenants don’t go cold by getting it checked.