Fall is just around the corner, so now is a great time to prepare your rentals for the coming season. The more you pay attention to interior and exterior details of your rental properties before the first leaves start to fall, the fewer maintenance requests you'll receive in the dead of autumn.
Complete these 5 easy tasks to get ready for the upcoming season:
1. Check your heating system
Not every state has wide temperature fluctuations throughout the year, but it's important to inspect the heating system before fall arrives, no matter whether your rentals are located in Texas or New Jersey. Nobody wants to suddenly find out the heater is broken and that no warm air is available inside an apartment.
As the old saying goes, "While it is fine weather, mend your sails." Inspecting and repairing (if necessary) the heating system in summer reduces the stress related to urgent home maintenance in the late fall.
You might also want to contact a heating contractor or local utility company to take a professional look at the HVAC. If there's something wrong with the hot water tank, you'll need to install a new one for sure.
Related to: The Most Common Maintenance Requests Landlords Receive from Their Tenants
2. Clean the gutters
Inspecting the roof before the rainy season will prevent costly repairs in the long run. Clogged rain gutters and downspouts that haven't been properly cleaned can cause leaks and attic mold that may spread within the house.
Make sure you clean the gutters with a strong leaf blower to completely remove leaves and debris from the roof and gutters. You'll also need to take a look at any leaks or cracks on the roof and repair any damages promptly.
3. Make sure the lawn will look beautiful in spring
It's important to continue watering and mowing your lawn even during the fall in order to allow more sunlight to reach the grass. If you want your lawn to look fabulous in spring, fertilize it at least once during the fall season. That way even after the coldest winter the grass will look fresh and green. Basic tasks like watering and fertilizing are essential for lawn care. Plus a well-maintained lawn adds value to your rental.
4. Repair sidewalks and driveways
Before the rainy season, repair hazards in the driveways and sidewalks near the house. Cracks in the pavement can result in serious injuries, so your tenants and visitors will be grateful if you take care of these repairs. By correcting uneven surfaces, you're also preventing unpleasant experiences.
Related to: Six Fall Maintenance Tasks to Keep Your Rental Up to Date
5. Take care of your autumn garden
It'd be easy if outdoor fall maintenance was limited to placing Halloween pumpkins and other outdoor decorations on your front porch. But maintaining an autumn garden requires more effort. At first, you'll probably want to plant fall flowers to improve the landscape during gray autumn days. Another step is to take care of colorful autumn shrubs, which will add an atmosphere of coziness to the landscape.
These are only a few tasks that are worth completing before fall arrives. Do you have any other maintenance to complete this summer? Share your ideas and thoughts by leaving comments below. :)
Home Maintenance Solutions: Prepare Your Rental For Summer
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