Fall Proactive Cleaning for your Rental
Here are some proactive things you can do to your rental property to prepare it for the fall & winter seasons.
Your rental lease with the tenants probably lays out maintenance responsibilities along the lines of ‘tenants are responsible for the furnace filter and light bulbs, and the owner is to make sure the home is habitable.’ Part of making sure the home is habitable is preventative maintenance to avert major repair issues later. The plus side is that being proactive can save you headaches and money down the road.
Here’s your to-do list this fall:
Project | Why | Avg National
Cost |
Clean Gutters | Avoid flooding and leaking by clearing out your gutters of any leaves & moss. | $151 |
Cover hose bibbs | Avoid frozen pipes that burst in the middle of winter. Cover the hose bibs on the outside of the house with reusable covers. | $10/each |
Winterize Sprinkler System | Again, frozen pipes tend to burst causing damage to the pipes and the home. DIY or hire a professional. | $81 |
Replace Faulty Thermostats | This is part of keeping your home habitable, and basic care of a home that’s meant to stay warm. | $25-60 |
Chimney sweep/clean | (link) Avoid damage from build up & pests when your tenants light that fire. A chimney fire could damage not only the chimney, but could spread to the roof and home. | $227 |
Have HVAC system Serviced | Clean the ducts and vents to prevent fire when the heat comes on and is blasting continuously.
Check the filters in the ducts and furnace too. |
$357 |
*Follow links to find pricing information.
But first…
Before doing any extra work, make sure to communicate with the tenants what types of maintenance you’re going to do that isn’t listed in the lease. They should understand, all of this is preventative and that you’re doing this so bigger problems don’t arise.
And also…
Additionally, if there’s anything that the tenants are responsible for, remind them of the deadlines and suggest your favorite vendors to them to make sure the job is done right. This is another proactive thing you can do to avoid major issues later.