Protect your buy-to-let investments
Here’s our essential winter maintenance checklist for landlords – an 8-step guide to maintaining your buy-to-let properties this winter.
While we love the crisp, clear days in the winter sunshine, the cold weather also brings challenges for landlords and property managers. It’s easy to overlook property maintainance checks as you’re swept up in festivities before Christmas, especially if you’re also managing additional challenges caused by the pandemic. So, if you haven’t already carried out a winter inspection on your rental properties, now is the time.
Our winter maintenance checklist for landlords will help you to carry out your winter checks – meaning you can identify any potential issues now, before they escalate into expensive or time-consuming problems. You’ll save money in the long term and your tenants will remain happy with the service you provide.
The essential winter maintenance checklist for landlords
1. Boiler
Make sure the boiler has been serviced – it’s going to be working harder over the next few months. Consider putting a service plan in place, and if it’s a gas boiler, make sure the gas safety certificate is up to date.
2. Radiators
Cold tenants are not happy tenants, so be sure to check that all radiators are working as they should.
3. Water pipes
Frozen water pipes are a common problem in the Scottish winter – internal and external water pipes should be properly lagged. Don’t forget any pipes in the loft.
4. Insulation
Check for any drafts around doors and windows – do they close properly? Check and replace any seals that are missing or perished. If the property is a house or top floor apartment, is there sufficient loft insulation?
5. Extractor fans
Keeping your property well ventilated is particularly important in the winter months, when condensation can lead to damp. Focus especially on air flow in the kitchen and bathrooms.
6. Alarms
Check that all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are functioning.
7. Guttering
A build-up of leaves and debris could stop rainwater or snowmelt draining properly so avoid potential leaks and cracked drainpipes by clearing out gutters. While you’re looking up, it’s also worth checking for any missing roof tiles.
8. External
Take time to check over any external spaces – are security lights working? Is there any peeling paint, indicating moisture ingress? Are there any cracks in the driveway or paving that a hard frost could exacerbate?
As you work through our winter maintenance checklist for landlords, be sure to consider anything else particular to your property which should be addressed now.
Are property management services for you?
If you’re finding it difficult to make time to visit your property and ensure you’ve completed our winter maintenance checklist for landlords, consider our full management service – which covers every aspect of the letting cycle.
Get in touch to find out more about our service, which includes regular inspections, arranging safety certificates, cleaning, preventative maintenance and reactive maintenance. In addition, we also provide tenants with a 24 hour, seven days a week emergency contact number – so you have total peace of mind.