Preparing a Rental Property for Winter
As winter sets in and we look forward to Christmas it is important that as landlords we prepare our properties for the winter months.
Preparing The Exterior for Winter
Roof
Check your roof, are there any slipped or cracked tiles? How is your chimney stack looking? Check for loose tiles or any vegetation growing. These should all be fixed to prepare your property for winter by ensuring it is watertight and windproof.
Pipes
Check all your exterior pipes. We don’t want any blocks leakages or cracks in any exterior pipes. This would cause water to flow down the side of the property itself which can over time cause damp to infiltrate the interior.
Gutters
Make sure all your gutters are clear of any debris to prevent any blockages that can lead to further water damage.
Preparing The Interior for Winter
Heating System
Now would be the time to get a service done on your boiler. If you tie that in with your annual gas safety check then your gas safety registered plumber should give you a discount. By ensuring your heating system is in the best possible condition you are preparing your property for winter.
Radiators
Check if your radiators need “bleeding”. If they feel warmer at the bottom than at the top then this is a sign they need bleeding. This will release the trapped air and help the boiler work more efficiently and therefore your boiler too. Ask your tenants to keep their radiators on low if they are to be away from the property, this will ensure a constant temperature and prevent freezing if ansent from the house for any time.
Smoke Alarms & CO2 Detectors
Prepare a rental property for winter by ensuring all smoke alarms and CO2 detectors are working. It is law now that all landlords must provide these items in a property. Ask your tenant to check the batteries are fully powered and in working order as they should be.
Stopcocks
Make sure your tenant (and you) know where the stopcock is for your properties. If pipes do burst then by shutting off the supply in an emergency this can minimise the risk.
In summary
It’s important to ensure that the exterior of your property is ship shape for winter. By checking your roof, gutters and pipes you will ensure the exterior is protected, by ensuring your heating system and radiators are in order you will keep the internals running smoothly too. Preparing a rental property for winter is not a huge expensive task, damage caused by not being prepared may well be, so it is important to be ready for winter, so no matter what the weather throws at us we’ll be ready!
Here at Abode we have great contractors that are ready and available to prepare your rental property for winter. We only use gas safe registered plumbers and only the best contractors get to work for us. If you need any help with your property and preparing a rental property for winter then we would be delighted to assist, you can contact Abode by clicking the link.
