Is winter coming already?
It is. And, in Roseville, we don’t typically have to worry about severe winters. It probably won’t snow, and there won’t be too many days where we even get towards the freezing mark.
However, it does get cold enough that you need to think about some seasonal maintenance at your rental property. Preparing for seasonal maintenance is a good way to stay ahead of potential repairs. It prevents your home from deteriorating too quickly and allows your tenants to see how much you care about your investment property.
Here are some of the winter maintenance items that need to be on your checklist, whether you’re managing and maintaining your rental property on your own, or with the help of Roseville property managers. Don’t forget that your residents have a role to play in winter maintenance. Be sure to educate them on what you need and expect.
Have Your HVAC Inspected and Serviced to Check the Furnace and the Heat
It may not be a deep winter freeze that we have to worry about, but your Roseville tenants will be turning on the heat. That means the furnace at your rental property must be working well. Inspect and service your HVAC system in the winter, particularly the heating unit. Whether you have a furnace or a heat pump or some radiant source of heating, make sure everything is safe and working before those systems begin working regularly.
To prepare your furnace for winter, turn on the thermostat and make sure it’s functioning the way it should. Change the air filters and have an experienced technician clean the heat exchanger and the blower motor. If you have a chimney and a carbon monoxide detector, you’ll want to check those too.
Inspect Your Roseville Rental Home’s Roof
The roof takes on a lot of wind and sun, and sometimes rain. You’ll need to give it some routine maintenance and provide regular inspections. Don’t go up there yourself, and don’t let your tenants climb a ladder to inspect the roof. Hire a professional roofing company to inspect the roof for decay, deterioration, rush, water intrusion, pests, and deterioration. You want to make sure cold air won’t easily get inside the property.
Your roofing contractor will look for loose, damaged or missing shingles that need replacing. It’s also a good idea to inspect the chimney flashing as well as any vents that may invite leaks. Patch up anything that needs work and enjoy the peace of mind that your roof is in good shape for the winter.
Annual and seasonal maintenance on your roof can end up saving you thousands of dollars. It’s so much easier to replace a few shingles than it is to replace an entire roof. Keep this in mind when a roofer recommends that updates be made.
Irrigation and Winter Property Maintenance
Drought restrictions are still in place throughout Roseville, and depending on which stage we’re in, you may have to limit how often you water your grass. If you’re using sprinklers outside or other irrigation systems, they’ll need some attention before winter arrives as well.
- Remove the hoses from any of your outside spigots.
- Then, turn the spigots off completely to prevent freezing.
- Prevent outside pipes from freezing with adequate insulation.
When it comes to caring for the exterior of your property during the winter, you have to know your property. If you’ve been renting it out for many winters, you probably know where your biggest challenges will be. Address those issues right away and then take a preventative approach to anything that needs attention.
Maintain Pools and Spas
Does your rental property have a pool or a hot tub? You’ll need to make some plans for those things during the winter, especially if they won’t be used during the cooler season. Make sure you contract with a pool company to come and drain the water. Then, have the pool covered and marked as off-limits until the spring.
Educate Your Tenants on Seasonal Maintenance
It’s a good idea to partner with your residents as winter approaches. After all, they are the parties living in the property.
As the property owner, it’s your responsibility to keep the property safe and habitable throughout the winter. That’s why preventative maintenance is so important all year long. However, you’ll want to remind your tenants of their responsibilities and make sure they’re educated on how to handle some of the things that may come up.
- If residents are planning to be away from the home during the winter months, make sure they’re keeping the heat set at 55 degrees. You don’t want them turning it off entirely, otherwise your pipes could freeze in their absence during an unexpected cold snap.
- Your tenants should also understand that you want to be notified right away if there’s a problem at the home. You don’t want deferred and unreported maintenance to stretch out through the winter. Problems will only grow more complicated and more expensive with time.
- Provide tips to your tenants on keeping themselves safe. If they’re using space heaters, make sure they’re paying attention to all operating precautions.
The best time to prepare for winter is during the summer and the autumn. You don’t want to be rushing to service the heating unit and the sprinkler system when the snow is already falling. You also want to make sure your rental property or your building is well-insulated.
As winter approaches, we have some additional ideas and preventative maintenance checklists that may be useful to you as you prepare your property and your tenants. If you’d like to talk about some of the most important elements of seasonal maintenance, we’d be happy to tell you more.
These tips we have provided are general. Your property likely has some unique attributes and issues that may require different types of support over the winter. We can take a look at the property and make some customized recommendations if that would help. Please contact us at Action Properties.
