To keep your money safe, you should always maintain a rental home every season. As the seasons change, it’s time to begin preparing your Canyon rental properties for winter. To prepare rental properties for winter, landlords and property managers must perform critical maintenance tasks on them each year.
You must check to see if your property is prepared correctly as the owner. When winterizing a rental home, landlords must address several critical items yearly.
Insulation and Sealing
To reduce energy consumption and heat loss, make sure your home doesn’t have any drafts and seal up any gaps. This affects any area where cold air can seep in, including around windows, doors, and other openings. Your home’s walls and roof should be insulated in addition to sealing drafts. No matter what the weather is outside, this will help you maintain a consistent temperature inside your home.
Heating System
You should conduct routine maintenance tasks such as system servicing, air filter replacement, radiator bleeds as needed, and thermostat setup. To ensure the heating system is operating safely and effectively, a professional inspection and tune-up must be performed as part of routine maintenance. They will look over the burners and ignition system and check the electrical connections.
Doors and Windows Solutions
Storm windows and doors are one of the most important things you can do to winterize your home. To help keep the heat in and the cold out, these unique doors and windows are made to provide an extra layer of insulation. To better insulate the home, you could also use heavy drapes or thermal shades.
To keep your home’s heating system in good working order, make sure to regularly check the weather stripping around your doors and windows. Every year, you should check your home for damage and fix any weather stripping that is broken or worn right away. Adding or replacing weather stripping on exterior doors and windows can keep cold air out more effectively, improving your home’s heating and energy efficiency.
Plumbing Precautions
The plumbing system can have a hard time in the winter in rental properties. Water lines inside a house are susceptible to freezing and burst when the temperature drops, causing significant damage to the property. It is important to insulate water pipes so that water doesn’t freeze inside them.
Open communication with tenants should also include a discussion of the ideal temperature to maintain in the house, which is usually at least 58 degrees.
Remind the renters to leave the cabinet doors open when it’s cold outside. These tips are even better. This will allow warm air to circulate the pipes in order to prevent them from freezing.
Exterior and Structural Maintenance
Finding any exterior cracks or holes that could allow cold air to seep in is the first step in winterizing your home. Two places where air could be escaping are vinyl siding and window seals. Look for holes and seal them with caulk or insulation to prevent cold air from entering your home and warm air from leaving.
It’s also necessary to maintain your roof and gutters. This will help prevent leaks or damage that could result in cold air entering your home in the event that it is not done properly. You should also check the foundation and crawl space. Good insulation will keep your home warm and keep cold air out of these areas. Make sure to seal any gaps in the foundation to prevent cold air from entering. You can ensure that your home stays warm and cozy all winter by implementing these simple tactics.
Tenant Education
Tenants should become familiar with necessary maintenance and emergency procedures during the winter. Among other things, it should include steps for clearing sidewalks and driveways, keeping pipes from freezing, getting ready for a power outage or heating system breakdown, and other important details. Plain rules can help renters get ready for winter by telling them what to do.
Regular Inspections
For any possible problems to stay small, it’s important to have regular property inspections during the winter. One of these inspections is to look for leaks or damage to the roof, windows, and doors that might have been brought on by bad weather conditions like strong winds, heavy rain, or snow.
Routine inspections identify areas where energy efficiency can be improved, which can lower energy bills and make a building more environmentally friendly.
For the most part, winter is the worst time to make sure your rental properties can handle the weather. You can ensure that your property is adequately weatherized and energy-efficient by adhering to these recommendations, giving your tenants a comfortable and safe living environment.
Your cozy renting homes and happy renters will be ready for anything with Real Property Management of the High Plains on their side. Please contact us at 806-553-7914 or through our web form if you have any questions about the property management services we offer in Canyon and the nearby areas.
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.
