Fall Maintenance Guide

Maintaining your rental property on a seasonal basis allows you to charge the maximum rent from your tenants, maintain a safe property and ensure that your vacancy rates stay low. Checking for inexpensive maintenance issues also allow you to identify any potential problems and damage before they lead to expensive repairs. During your autumn season maintenance check-in, prioritize these maintenance duties to ensure your property is in tip-top shape.

1. Inspect heating and ventilation: Avoid expensive repairs by inspecting your HVAC systems at least twice a year. Replace filters in ventilation systems, remove debris from airways and exam heating elements for leaks to ensure safe operation. Additionally, you should cover the exterior HVAC units to prevent snow and old from coming in.

2. Inspect the machines in your building: Ensure that your gym equipment, laundry machines, service elevators and other systems are running safely and efficiently within your building. Maintaining these systems also greatly improves your tenants experience at your property.

3. Maintain curb appeal: Clean the windows and clean and/or repaint the exteriors of your property. Invest in your landscape to ensure your property is looking its best by incorporating visually pleasing plants and vegetation around your property.

4. Clean and inspect water-related features: To avoid issues with your downspouts and gutters, clean debris to avoid backups during the fall and winter season. Treating water systems are always much easier take care of before issues occur.

5. Upgrade common areas: Every 5-7 years, upgrade features such as the flooring, carpets and paint on the walls that are in the common areas and hallways of your building to maintain a clean and modern ambiance.

6. Chimney sweep: If your property has a functional fireplace, now is the best time to conduct a chimney sweep and ensure that any obstructions are cleared. Make sure smoke can get out and cold air can’t flow in.

7. Landscape maintenance: Maintain the shrubs, trees and fertilization surrounding your property while also removing any plants or vegetation that may interfere with your property’s curb appeal. Removing large objects and unnecessary tree vegetation will also reduce the likelihood of extreme wind related damage to your property.

8. Inspect for cracks and leaks: Replace the stripping on windows, seal any cracks, and prevent drafts and leaks from entering at the bottom of the doors by correcting them with a door piece. This simple inspection can decrease your reoccurring electric bill.

9. Fire safety: Replace the batteries in all of the smoke detectors within your property. Home fires are most common during the winter than any other time of the year so ensure that you practice your fire evacuation plan for your tenants during the fall season as well.

10. Get residents involved: Let your tenants check for property maintenance services that they are responsible for - such as checking their own smoke detectors, windows, etc. If everyone helps out, your fall maintenance will go more efficiently.

Preserve your property with these preventative maintenance tips and find that your property will be in better shape in the short-term and long-term. Schedule routine proactive inspections and you will save much time and money down the road.