What should be on my essential checklist as a landlord this winter?

It’s essential to prepare your properties for the colder months. We’ve put together the following checklist so you can keep your property in the best condition for your tenants this winter, right through to spring. 

Servicing the boiler

With boilers working extra hard over the winter months, make sure that they have been serviced ahead of time. If we manage your property for you, we’ll have this in hand and ask if you’d like your boiler serviced at the same time we sort out the gas safety check. Our 24/7 online fault reporting system also helps tenants in our managed properties to resolve some of their simple heating issues themselves without needing to call a plumber out – take a peek. If we don’t manage it for you, find out more about the benefits of our managed service - something to consider for 2024. 

Protecting your water pipes

Frozen water pipes are a common problem when the weather starts to turn colder. Ensuring pipes have been properly lagged and insulated will prevent them from freezing or splitting – an expensive job to repair as a landlord. It’s worth advising tenants to keep the heating on, even at a low temperature, to prevent any problems with pipes.

Clear gutters

Whether your property is rented out or vacant this winter, clearing out your gutters is important to avoid potential leaks. A build-up of leaves or debris in your gutters can stop rainwater or snow from draining away. If not cleared away properly, this can cause several problems, including leaks, damp and cracked drainpipes.

Adequate insulation

If the insulation in your property is properly checked, then it can go a long way to helping reduce your heating bills. A better-insulated property will reduce the amount of heat lost and can therefore be a lot more attractive to tenants. Investing in your property’s insulation will also have the added benefit of potentially improving the EPC rating. If you own older buildings or houses with a loft conversion, it’s important to make sure these are well insulated. You can check the EPC rating of a property using this energy performance certificate service.

Sealing windows and doors

Before the cold weather really sets in and between tenancies, take the time to inspect your seals on both windows and doors. Draft excluders can often be a popular and cheap method to tackle drafts coming through doors. 

As your leading local agent, we know how important it is to carry out a winter inspection on your properties to ensure the comfort of your tenants and avoidable repair costs. For more information on any of the above or to talk about our managed service with a member of our team, contact us.