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Get Your New England Rental Properties Ready for Winter

Now is the time to get your New England rental properties ready for winter.  This week’s overnight frosts around Natick, MA, remind us that winter will be upon us soon. Before it comes, there are several key maintenance tasks that you must do to protect your rental properties from the cold. Complete these tasks and your rental properties will be ready!

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  • Drain and shut off your sprinkler system. Blow out the system to protect it from damage caused by frozen and burst lines. Exterior faucets must be properly drained, covered and shut off before the first freeze, or they could crack or burst. Don’t forget to detach, drain, and store garden hoses to keep them ready for Spring.
  • If any of your rental properties have pipes that run through cold basements, crawlspaces, attics, or garages, wrap them with foam covers or insulate them using heat tape before winter hits. Maintenance in the name of prevention can keep your pipes from freezing could save you from an expensive repair bill – and even a flooded basement – during the worst weather!  Remind your tenants that you require them to maintain a temperature of at least 58 degrees within their living space during freezing nights.  This reminder is a great opportunity to communicate with your residents on a positive note.
  • Shut down and cover the rental home’s A/C unit. Covering the unit keeps it from leaking freezing air back into the house. It also protects the unit itself from damage caused by snow and ice. Get this done before the winter temperatures set in.
  • Now is also a good time to check and replace the batteries in all the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Changing the batteries in all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors every six months pretty much guarantees their reliability, which further promotes the safety of your rental homes and your residents.
  • Finally, guard against winter accidents on icy sidewalks by providing ice melt and keeping it handy for your residents to use. When the temperatures dip below freezing, you know they are going to need it, so keep it in an accessible place where they know to find it.  Remind your tenants regarding their responsibility to keep walkways and sidewalks clear of snow and ice.

Communicate with your residents about this winterization prep.  It’s a great way to stay in touch and to remind them of your reliability as well as their obligations as tenants.  While these tasks are really imperative, there’s no need to do it all yourself. The professionals at Real Property Management are your rental property winterization experts. We can take care of these important seasonal maintenance tasks, plus more, leaving you free to enjoy the best of the season. To learn more, please contact us.  At Real Property Management Metro Boston, we serve communities in and around Framingham, MA.

 

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