Before and when winter arrives, there are some things that you need to do to keep your rental properties safe for your tenants. Also, not only could you have significant repairs eventually if you don’t, but if a tenant or tenants in one of your multi-family dwellings falls or is injured, the results could cost you because of lawsuits. So below are some suggestions to keep your tenants safe through the winter and prevent an oversight from turning into major repairs from unintentional neglect:
- Turn off any exterior faucets on your property: The water in undrained pipes can freeze and burst. This not only would cause damage in your building, but could cause damage the outside as well. So drain all the garden hoses and outside lines after you shut-off the values inside your building.
- Check the furnace filter: Getting a phone call at 2am in the morning because your tenants are freezing is bad enough. However, knowing that it could’ve been prevented by something as simple as changing the filter is even worse. By changing the furnace filter too, this cuts down on higher fuel costs, overheating and the shutdown of a furnace. Also, scheduling maintenance is wise. This is one way to catch small problems before they turn onto big ones.
- Inspect the roof: It’s much easier to repair the roof if there’s an issue when the weather is halfway decent than to have a roofing problem in the middle of a blizzard.
- Arrange for snow removal services: By setting up the service earlier, you won’t be the last one on someone’s list. It’s better to have everything ready than to try and negotiate when the snowflakes are falling and no one is taking calls.
- Inspect all the doors and windows: Check where heat is most likely to escape and then either caulk it or use weather stripping where the problem is. It’s easier to do it now than when the snow is flying and your fingers are freezing.
Keeping your property winter safe is the smart thing to do.