Tips To Prepare Your Rental Property This Winters

By: Jennifer Villalba

Share the Post:

We all know that winter is considered the right time to move to NYC. With the temperature dropping as low as -3°C in New York, the only place where you can find solace in the entire state is your own home. This is the only place where you can breathe without giving yourself acute sinusitis. Rental or not, your home is where your heart is. It should make you feel comfortable at all times.

About 63% of the entire New York City’s housing is rental accommodation.  Caring for your rental property is as important as preparing your own home for winters. It is more important to make sure that your tenants are comfortable and there is no inconvenience of any sort.

As winters are getting severe day by day, make sure you are doing your homework well.
Here is a list of things you as a landlord can do to protect and prepare your rental property from the chilly winters.

1. Schedule An Appointment For HVAC Maintenance

It is the most crucial step when beginning the process. If you do not have tenants yet, this is probably the first thing that they will check. Your air conditioning should be working smoothly at all times. Even if you think your HVAC system is working just fine, you need professional services to check the system thoroughly.

Often due to heavy blizzards or rain, the system gets affected. This happens when the system is not checked every year. For the protection and safety of your tenants, you must get your system checked regularly.

Make sure you instruct your tenants to regularly check for debris in the vents. It is important to clean the system from time to time and make sure there are no blockages and clogging.

Even when your tenants are not in town, instruct them to maintain a temperature of 13°C at least. This will keep the pipes from freezing and bursting.

2. Do Some Landscaping

Due to snowstorms or heavy rains, often the weak shrubs, branches or even trees weigh down and break quite easily. This might break your window panes, damage your doors or even injure your tenants. Make sure you prune your garden and surrounding trees. They should be trimmed according to the perimeters of your house. Even heavy winds can cause severe damage to the house. Therefore, it is imperative to maintain your landscape.

3. Look Out For Cracks And Crevices

Winters can be harsh on your entire property. Make sure you check your roof for holes and loose tiles. During heavy snowfall, the weak foundation of the roof would cause your house severe damage due to heavy load.

Check for gaps in your windows and doors. Tight shut doors and windows will trap the heat inside and keep your home warm. If you happen to find cracks in your driveway or porch, seal them right away. The frozen water in these cracks leads to bigger problems.

4. Clean & Clear the Clogs And Clutter

While preparing your rental property for harsh winters, make sure you are cleaning all the pipes and gutters. Make sure you get your sprinkler system inspected as well. They too are prone to bursts due to freezing temperature.

There shouldn’t be any negligence when it comes to your ducts and chimneys. If your property has a fireplace, make sure chimneys are cleaned by a professional chimney sweeper. The ducts of the ventilation system should also be cleared regularly, only through a proper- working HVAC system, your property will be evenly warmed.

5. Get the Snow Removed Regularly

Heavy snowing can block your driveway and porch. It also causes damage to your property due to the heavy load on the roof.  Make sure you have hired professionals to remove the snow regularly.

6. Check Your Alarms

With winters being in full force and windows and doors shut tight, there will be cross-ventilation. There will hardly be any fresh air. Due to the heating system operating 24×7 during winters, the chances of carbon monoxide poisoning are high.  You must get your fire and carbon monoxide alarms inspected. This will assure your tenant’s safety and security.

7. Stay in Touch With Your Tenants

You must stay connected to your tenants. Whether you stay miles away or a few blocks away, make sure you are always available for your tenants. Your tenants will appreciate this gesture and act more responsibly if you are in keeping in touch with them regularly.

Make sure to keep sending guidelines and instructions to them to keep themselves and the property safe during winters. Ask them to stock enough food items, shovels, and snow salt and scrapers.

Winters can be unpredictable and they should be prepared for it. Provide them with important contact numbers for the different professional services that are required during this season.  Also, ask them to keep updating you about any major changes or fixtures taking place in the property.

Related Article:

Creating An LLC For Your Rental Property
Find a Rental Property for Multiple Pets
Rental Property Inspection and How to perform it
Tips for Buying a Rental Property