Do you own rental property in areas with harsh winters? If your rental properties are exposed to the elements during the winter months, you need to take some extra steps to keep those properties protected.
Whether your rental properties are vacant or occupied, here are some tips for keeping them in good shape during the winter.
1. Hire a property management company
Contents
- 1. Hire a property management company
- 2. Remind your tenants about winter care
- 3. Offer to help your tenants during the winter months
- 4. Make lease amendments when needed
- 5. Seal exterior wood
- 6. Have your tenants test their smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors
- Winter doesn’t have to be hard for landlords
A property management company will be your biggest asset. If you don’t have one and are still trying to do everything yourself, your job will only get more challenging during winter.
During winter, managing a property on your own can be a little harder than usual. Even if it doesn’t snow and you don’t get ice, you’ll have to deal with problems caused by cold temperatures and wet weather. You’ll enjoy having a property manager to field your tenants’ reports and repair requests during these times.
Your job as a landlord will become especially hard if you live in an area that gets harsh winter storms. If that applies to you, you’ll face some extra hardships during the winter. For example:
· You’ll have to drive around in the snow or ice to collect rent.
· You’ll have to drive in the snow or ice to make repairs and perform inspections.
· If the power goes out, you might need to connect with the power company if your tenant doesn’t know how to handle the situation.
Having a property manager means you don’t have to take care of landlord duties. You won’t have to drive in the dark in the middle of winter just to fix small issues like a broken bathroom screen.
2. Remind your tenants about winter care
If your property requires any kind of special care during winter, send your tenants a reminder before winter begins. It doesn’t have to be long or detailed, but you should include basic reminders like bringing in garden hoses, dripping faucets during freezing temperatures, and preventing snow melt from flooding by removing obstacles and barriers where the ground slopes.
Also, remind your tenants to have their wood stove or fireplace chimney cleaned before building their first winter fire. Remind them about gutter care and keeping drainage areas clear.
3. Offer to help your tenants during the winter months
You’re not obligated to help your tenants during the winter, but it’s a good idea if they don’t know how to manage the property in winter. For example, your tenant might not know how or when to shovel snow. They also might not be aware of how to salt their driveway or sidewalks.
It’s not a requirement to offer your tenants help, but it will make them feel appreciated, and it will help you ensure your property is maintained to your standards.
4. Make lease amendments when needed
There aren’t many lease amendments you’ll need to make during the winter, but there are a few things to consider adding.
· Driveway salt. If your property is in an area that gets snow, your tenants will likely be using salt on the driveway and sidewalks. You may want to consider requiring your tenants to use pet-safe salt or a specific brand/type of salt that won’t damage the property or foliage.
· Snow removal requirements. Sometimes tenants don’t stay on top of removing snow. In most cases, it doesn’t matter. For example, if your tenant doesn’t want to shovel their driveway, they’ll be stuck in their house and it won’t harm your property. However, if you have any buildings on the property that can’t bear weight for long periods of time, you’ll want to require tenants to remove the snow.
· Drip water during cold temperatures. When temperatures dip below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, your tenants need to drip the faucets to prevent water from freezing in the pipes. Frozen pipes tend to burst when the ice melts.
If you decide to make winter-specific lease amendments, be sure to give notice properly according to federal, state, and local laws.
5. Seal exterior wood
If you have any exterior wood, make sure to paint, caulk, and seal every crack. If you have masonry, seal that as well.
6. Have your tenants test their smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors
When winter approaches, remind your tenants to test their smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. If the batteries need to be replaced, offer to bring them new batteries and replace them as a courtesy. Some tenants just don’t know how to do that, and you’ll make their life easier.
Winter doesn’t have to be hard for landlords
To keep your rental property in great shape during the winter, make sure your tenants know how to perform the required winter upkeep. Send friendly reminders when necessary and offer to help with tasks they can’t perform.