5 Spring Maintenance Items To Do for Your Rental Property

The month of April and the Spring season is right around the corner!  But for rental property owners, this time of year means being proactive and performing inspections and maintenance tasks.  To assist with this task, we have compiled 5 Spring maintenance items landlords should do to their rental property.

We perform inspections on our properties (both inside and out) twice a year.  For more information on exactly what we look for on those inspections, read Why Landlord Inspections Are Essential.  The following items are above and beyond those semi-annual inspections.

1. EXTERIOR INSPECTIONS

Winter can wreak havoc on properties in severe (even not so harsh) weather climates.  Start with the exterior and inspect the following areas to make sure water or ice has not caused damage:

Roof

It seems obvious, but wind can loosen shingles, allowing rain and insects to get underneath.  Loose shingles can cause a buildup of moss, nests, and water damage to the interior.  Often these issues cannot be seen from ground level, so grab your ladder and take a looksee.  If you’re not comfortable with this task, hire a professional to inspect it.

Driveways/Walkways

Pavers and concrete can be cracked and raised when roots extend from nearby trees or with a lot of ice and wet weather.  This issue can be a tripping hazard, so make sure you remedy this as soon as possible.  If you cannot get to it right away, purchase reflective or bright colored tape/paint to mark the area and bring the hazard to your tenant’s or visitors’ attention.

Decks and Stairs

Wet weather can bring dry rot damage, making exterior stairs and railings unsafe.  Check that nails and screws are set and are not a tripping hazard.

Windows and Siding

Again, these are both areas where dampness and pests can cause problems.  For example, windows that are not adequately sealed can result in mold.  Siding is where termites got in and caused thousands of dollars in damage to our 6-plex.  To read more about our experience, read Coping With A Termite Infestation In Your Rental Property.

Fences

After each winter season, it seems that one property or another has fence issues.  If not rotted posts, it’s a loose board that needs repair.  Regardless, a landlord needs to make sure their yard is safe if children climb the fence or neighboring dogs can get through it.

Sprinklers and Water Lines

Spring is an excellent time to run the sprinkler system to ensure no lines have broken, resulting in flooded areas of the garden.  Water spigots should be opened and flushed as well.  Remove protective sleeves and store for fall maintenance time.

2. INTERIOR INSPECTIONS

Interior inspections are just as necessary.  Where your tenants likely will notice issues and bring them to your attention, you must do your due diligence each season to make sure the home is safe and weatherproof.    For the interior, make sure you are inspecting:

Ceilings, Attics, and Windows:  If you do not notice any issues from the exterior, it can still mean there’s an issue that WILL show inside the unit.  We had an exterior window leak that we could not find to save our soul.  The only reason we knew a leak was present was for water that would drip off the windowsill with each rain, and the tenant brought it to our attention.  We would have had severe dry rot to deal with down the line had they not.  This window was on the 3^rd level, so it would not have been an easy fix by any means.

Sometimes you may want to peak into the attic and shine a flashlight on the interior of the roof.  Water stains will show if there have been any issues that you (or your roofer) need to remedy.  You will also be able to find out if any pests have become squatters in your attic as well.  Squirrels, rats, bees, etc., all enjoy the warmth an attic has to offer.

Interior inspections include checking the floors and walkways to ensure they have sustained damage by your tenants dragging in mud, water, or salt.  Again, a good doormat can help with this issue.

Okey-doke, you can get to the maintenance part now that the property inspection is complete.  There are only a few Spring seasonal maintenance items to do for your rental property.

3. SPRUCE UP THE EXTERIOR

Improving the outside of your rental property can mean a few things, so we will break it down for you.

Trim Trees

Tree limbs that have grown over winter can come loose or hang low on the house.  Winds can cause this branch to rub on the home’s exterior and damage paint or windows.  Low hanging limbs can be attractive for children to grab and potentially get injured.  They also can fall on people, cars, roofs, and gutters.  Early spring is the best time to prune flowering or fruit trees.  Pruning will keep them manageable, and then the tenant won’t have to cope with 500 lemons or sweep up excessive leaves that fall.

Plants flowers, clean up walkways

This small act makes the space more appealing.  Plant spring flowers along pathways and make sure to remove all of the weeds.  Maybe you have tenants there who can do this, but if their renewal date is coming up, it might be a nice gesture to do it for them to encourage them to renew.  If they decide not to continue leasing, the space will look well kept when showing the unit to prospective tenants.

Clean Up the Patio

This particular one is more for multifamily properties where you provide patio furniture, BBQ, etc.  Take the time to remove furniture covers and put them into storage.  Clean the bases and pads or replace pads if they are worn.  Wipe down the BBQ and make sure it is clean and ready for your tenants to enjoy their first outdoor cookout.  Ensure ambient lighting is working well, replacing bulbs that may have burnt out.  Finally, power wash the patio so it’s nice and clean, free of moss and dirt accumulated during the winter months.

4. GET READY FOR WARMER WEATHER

Just as you would check and service the heater to prepare for winter, if you have an AC unit, have your HVAC service person out to check the freon and make sure it’s working well.  There’s nothing worse than getting into a heatwave, and your tenant calls to say the air conditioner isn’t working.  Good luck getting your HVAC team member out to repair it!

To ensure the AC continues to work well, change the air filter.  You’d be surprised how much has accumulated since you last changed the heating filter in November!  Especially if you allow pets in your units.  I don’t mean to be skeptical, but they often do not, even if changing the filter is your tenant’s responsibility.  This lack of maintenance leaves your furnace and AC unit struggling to run well with that dirty filter in there.  Eventually, the unit will malfunction, and can you prove that it was because the tenant didn’t replace the filter?  Likely not.  Tip: write the month and year on the filter so you know when it was last replaced.

5. CLEAN GUTTERS

Yea, I know you just did this in the fall.  However, wet leaves, sprigs, and dirt can rust out your gutters and cause them to fail much quicker than if you maintain them regularly.   Use the hose to flush the downspouts out as well.  Every year, we are amazed when we see how much flows out from the bottom!

Final words

It is important to note that tenants will often contact the landlord and advise them of an issue when it arises.  But for as often as this wonderful gesture does happen, it can fall short with other tenants.  You can build maintenance into the lease and tell the tenant they are responsible for completing these tasks a minimum of twice per year.  Just remember, there is a reason they are renting, and often, it is not because they live to perform maintenance on a home they do not own.

If you want to be assured your rental is in its best shape, as a landlord, you must be proactive and perform the required maintenance (or hire someone to do so).  You’ll save yourself quite a headache and dent to your bottom line, not to mention it shows your tenant you have pride in your unit and are keeping an eye on them.  Download our FREE Spring Maintenance Checklist to guide you!

Check out our other blogs to guide you on your self-management journey as a landlord:

Long-Term or Short-Term Leases, What’s Better For Your Rental Property?

How To Improve Tenant Relations

Security Deposits: 5 Tips Landlords Should Know

Meet Stacie & Kevin, Your Landlord Resource

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