Part of managing a successful investment property involves keeping up with property maintenance so you can charge the maximum rent for your area, maintain a safe home for your renters, and ensure that vacancies rate remain low.
The best property care involves routine maintenance and inspections each season that will prepare a home for seasonal elements like winter storms or summertime heat. Regular inspections also allow an owner to identify any potential problem areas or damage than can be fixed before it becomes an expensive problem later (I’m looking at you leaky pipe!).
A couple of seasonal chores each quarter can prolong the life of your appliances, roof, and exterior and interior features.
To help property managers and landlords plan their rental property maintenance duties we created a seasonal maintenance guide as a free educational resource.
The Ultimate Guide: Rental Property Maintenance is broken down into 4 sections, one for each season, and covers what maintenance you should complete before the next season’s elements hit.
You will also find a Rental Property Safety Checklist that will help you identify key areas to assess at your rental properties, to keep your properties safe and your renters happy. Remember, providing safe and healthy living conditions for your renters is your legal responsibility as a property manager and owner.
Flip through the free eBook on this page or download the PDF to reference later and discover the most comprehensive list of rental property maintenance for each season.
Seasonal Maintenance Guide for Rental Properties
This guide is designed for landlords, property managers, and investors who want to stay on top of their property maintenance.
Property managers are so busy, it’s a good idea to plan your maintenance needs ahead of time. You can schedule a day each season to complete your seasonal maintenance tasks or set a reminder to schedule a maintenance crew to assist you.
Seasonal maintenance days are also great opportunities to check in with your renters and complete a routine inspection. Ask your renter how things are going and if they noticed any faulty features or water leaks recently. This simple question gives your renter the chance to tell you about potential problem areas they might otherwise forget to mention.
Spring Maintenance
Spring is the time to clean up your rentals after winter storms brought down branches and debris around the property. A good power washing to the exterior of the property can breathe new life into your rental. You can also remove any insulation you installed around pipes during wintertime.
Spring is the ideal time to start thinking about landscape management like mowing or weeding grass to get a head start on sudden growth caused by warm weather. Planting annuals in spring is a low-maintenance way to give a dash of color to a yard and increase your property’s curb appeal. Early spring is a perfect time for pruning flowering trees and fruit trees since they will start budding soon.
For more Spring Maintenance ideas – Spring Property Maintenance Checklist for Your Rentals
Summer Maintenance
The summer sunshine will bring your renters outdoors, so you need to make sure any outdoor areas are ready for summertime fun! Make sure the sprinkler system is set up for hot weather and that your property has been treated for pests and bugs that come out in the summer.
You should also reduce any fire hazards by trimming bushes and trees and removing dead plants. While fire danger is on your mind, go ahead and test the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.
Learn more about Summer Maintenance: Navigating Summer Maintenance for Your Rental Property
Fall Maintenance
In the fall check for inexpensive maintenance issues like areas that need caulking, gutters that need debris removed, or vegetation that needs trimming to prevent future damage. Check the roof for loose or missing shingles. Fixing small issues before they cause expensive problems is key.
Fall is also the time of year small critters come indoors before cold weather hits, so make sure the property is animal proof and check the attic to make sure unwelcome animals haven’t destroyed any insulation.
Learn more Fall Maintenance tips: Rental Property Fall Maintenance: Infographic
Winter Maintenance
Preventative winter maintenance includes protecting pipes from bursting, fixtures from crumbling, plants from dying, and your tenants from slips and falls.
Learn more about winter maintenance: Tips for Winter Property Maintenance: For Landlords
Property management software and calendar tools are helpful to set reminders to send you a notification about scheduling a maintenance day each season. You can also remind yourself to send an email to your renters each season to change their air filter and perform other tenant maintenance tasks.
Protect against damage during your seasonal maintenance days by using that time to check in with your tenants; a quick check-in with your renters might remind them to report an issue that they might otherwise not worry about mentioning.
Rental property management according to season is an innovative idea. If this idea is implemented properly rental property will be protected smoothly.
Thank you Samson for the kind feedback!
Hey,
Thanks for posting your article on maintenance and roof inspections. It was a really good read. I found it informative that you mention how routine home inspections are important to address any potential issues early before they become an expensive problem later. This is great read, keep up the great work!