Episode 27: Fall’s Checklist: Rental Property Maintenance for a Hassle-Free Winter

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Fall is the season when it’s time to baton down the hatches and prep for winter.  In the old days, people would be using this time to can vegetables they grew in their garden over the summer months or fix broken fences so the livestock wouldn’t escape.  City slickers were using this time to pull out their winter gear and buy new galoshes!

Just like every other season, fall is a time to prepare for a potentially harsh winter ahead.  So, we are in Northern California and with the exception of our mountainous areas, we don’t see exceptionally harsh winters.  But that doesn’t mean that we do not prepare our rental properties located here for the winter months.  We still get pretty big storms with high winds and last year, quite a bit of unexpected rainfall.  The point is inspections are always a good idea.  Even more so just before the cold winter months set it.

In this episode we give you suggestions on what fall seasonal maintenance items you should be doing for your rental properties, especially if they will experience freezing temperatures this coming winter season.

We time this preventative maintenance along with our semi-annual property inspections.  This way we can lessen the amount of disruption to our tenants and keep our time on property to a minimum, which also helps us remain efficient in our business.

Where we touch on the things you should focus on inside the unit, most of the tasks are for the exterior of your rental property.  We discuss what to do and why it is important.  The rest is up to you.

LINKS

👉 Episode 4: The Importance of Rental Property Inspections

Too many landlords take the hands-off approach, thinking their tenants don’t want to be bothered.  That the less contact they have with the tenant, the better.  Maybe they won’t move out, maybe they won’t ask us for any improvements, maybe they won’t complain.  Guess what?  By avoiding the tenants, you’re ignoring your biggest asset, your rental property.

It has been statistically shown that rental properties that go without maintenance, have a higher turnover than those with active, attentive landlords.

Just like your personal home or your vehicle, rental properties need periodic maintenance.  It needs to be checked to make sure your tenants are caring for it as intended in the lease agreement. 

👉 Purchase our 6-Page Inspection Checklist ($5.00). For properties up to 4 bedroom/4 bath and includes all pertinent areas to be inspected, including the exterior.

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