As a landlord, you often stay busy maintaining different aspects of the properties you rent out to your tenants. During the spring and summer months these maintenance tasks might involve the exterior landscape upkeep, such as trimming the shrubs and maintaining a finely manicured lawn. The cold and long winter months bring with them a whole different set of challenges, however by following this step by step guide to winterize your rental property, you’ll be ready in no time. 

Following some of these preventative tips may help you avoid costly repairs to your property. Although it may seem overwhelming and expensive, winterizing your rental property doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are a few steps to winterize your rental property and beat the cold.

The winter months bring with them the freezing cold temperatures. Naturally, most tenants will head straight for the thermostat to turn their heat up to stay warm and cozy. By doing so, there is a potentially greater risk for fire and also for higher levels of carbon monoxide. Check the batteries in the smoke alarms to ensure that all are functioning properly and that they are ready to do their job in the unfortunate circumstance that they would be needed. 

If your alarms are not hardwired, keep an extra supply of batteries on hand for quick change outs. You don’t want to be running to the store every time a battery needs changing. 

Take a stroll around the property while the weather is still warm and inspect the cement work of the foundation, sidewalks, driveways, etc. Finding any damage, cracks or gaps will be much easier to address now, before there is additional damage from rain, cold, or ice that expands and freezes. Use caulk to fill or seal any areas that need repair.

Plan ahead and take a look at your roof before the rain and snow falls. Replace any missing or loose shingles. Look for rot and any areas in need of repair. The harsh conditions of the winter months will only increase the damage and potentially multiply your headaches. 

If you feel unsure of what to look for, or if you feel unsafe getting on the roof to do the repairs, consider hiring a roofing professional to come out and take a look for you. When you call to make the appointment, make sure to confirm that they are licensed and insured. 

The next step in the process to winterize your rental property is to do a thorough inspection of the windows. Make sure to look for any cracks and check the seals to ensure they are airtight. To prevent any extra wear and tear on the window screens, it may also be a good idea to remove and store them away until spring.

Call your local furnace company and ask them to go out to the property to do a winter check up. Doing this preventative maintenance will only cost a fraction of what it may cost to repair the unit, should something go out. Having a smoothly running heating system will keep your tenants happy and warm on those chilly snow days.

Weather-stripping around the doors and windows will go a long way to saving your tenants money by keeping energy costs low. Check the weather-strip and replace and if it is worn out, torn or missing. If you find a door or window with out it, take the time to add it. 

If your rental property has a fireplace, it is imperative to have the chimney unexpected to make certain there is no buildup of creosote. Creosote can be extremely dangerous, as it is extremely flammable. A buildup of creosote in the chimney can cause a fire within the chimney and that is an extremely dangerous situation.

These steps to winterize your rental property will be well worth the time and small investment to make sure that your property is protected from the cold and elements, and to keep your tenants warm and cozy all winter long.

Thousand Hills Realty is Branson’s premier property management company and we would love to assist you with managing your rental property. Let our team do the work for you, to prep your rental for the winter months. If you are interested in learning more about how we can help you, call us today at (417) 337-8081.