Essentials for Winter

As the weather gets colder, renters and landlords are faced with more choices and considerations. Renters may want to avoid frosty pipes or glass windows left uncovered from the winter freeze. Landlords may worry about pipes freezing and seeing if it is safe for their tenants to stay in their rentals during these cold days. To take care of your rental property on cold days, here are some helpful tips:

- If you have a tenant's representative, let them know about any time that you cannot be at your rental property during this time period. You may want someone to check on the house to make sure everything is okay.

- If you need to keep the water running or heat the home at night, you may want to think about renting a space heater or using an appliance such as a fireplace so that you do not use up too much energy during these times. You can also ask your tenant if they will be okay with making sure that their windows and doors are closed so that air does not get out of your rental property and freeze.

- To keep the pipes from freezing, you may want to open faucets in the morning and evening, let it run for a few minutes to re-heat the water and then turn off the water. If you have any other pipes that need to be kept warm during these times, such as your hot water heater or dishwasher, you can also turn those on for a minute before shutting them off.

- If there is any snow on the roof of your rental property, you may want to shovel it off so that it does not get too heavy and fall off and cause damage.

- If temperatures drop below freezing, make sure that your tenant knows that they should keep their windows and doors closed to keep the heat in. They should also make sure that they do not need to run fans or air conditioning during these colder times.

- You may want to pack a bag and head out in the morning or evening to check on your rental property. This is good for your own peace of mind, as well as for checking on the pipes and the electrical wiring.

- Finally, if you have a tenant who does not like to get up early in the morning, ask them if they will do such things as shoveling snow off the roof and checking on the pipes so that you can just go without them.

What if you are a tenant?

If you are a tenant, you may have some other questions about taking care of your rental property on cold days. Some of the most important ways to take care of your rental property on a cold day would be to:

- Make sure that any windows and doors are closed tightly. This will help keep the heat in and allow you to save energy.

- Turn on the heat in order to keep the pipes from freezing. If you do not need to heat the pipes, you can turn it off for other purposes.

- If you have a window air conditioner, make sure that you are using it properly. You may want to check with your utility company if you have questions about how long it will take for the unit to cool down your area. You should also make sure that you are using it when the sun is not shining on it, such as during the nighttime hours or early in the morning.

- Make sure that your doors and windows do not leak air. This will help you save energy and keep warm air inside your rental property. You may want to seal the door with a plastic sheet if you notice any areas where air is seeping out.

- If you have a fireplace, you can use it to keep the house warm during the colder time of year. Be careful to keep it used in a safe manner and make sure that it does not get out of hand. You may also want to check with your landlord about whether this would be okay for your rental property.

Taking care of your house as a tenant or a renter in cold days are important. Make sure to use these little tips and tricks to go through the cold days with ease.

Thanks for reading. See you on the next one.