Philadelphia is a beautiful city, especially in the fall, with the architecture of our properties and our old growth trees. Being a green, garden and park oriented city, Philadelphia is inspiring as the Autumn months approach.
And as a Philadelphia landlord rental property owner, I know that's part of what creates such a properful and desirable tenant base.
When you look at the dropping temperatures and changing leaves, there’s no denying that winter is not too far behind.
Cold weather can wreck a lot of havoc on your Philadelphia rental property, particularly when you fail to prepare for it – here are nine fall maintenance tasks to handle before the arrival of winter: Also Read 6 Property Management Projects to Prep Your Rental for Fall
- Remove sidewalk weeds. Roots create ever deepening sources of water infiltration and worse is when that water freezes and makes a small weed opening into a larger crack. More weeds come, the roots go deeper and the cycle continues until a property owner is faced with an expensive fix. Sidewalk weeds also make it much more difficult to shovel snow, so weed now.
- Tackle your year-end yard maintenance. Trim your hedges, rake leaves, and handle all the necessary maintenance.
- Pack, clean and store all the outdoor items that are susceptible to winter damage.
- Drain all the rental property water lines connected to hoses and sprinklers to avoid a situation where the water might freeze and burst the lines.
- Clear debris from the gutter to prevent roof damage and stop water from pooling.
- Inspect your roof and preventative coat as needed
. - Install storm doors and seal windows to prevent heat from escaping in the winter months.
- Inspect the HVAC systems just to ensure that hot water and heat will continue working when temperatures drop. HVAC repairman charge a premium for emergency service. If a tenant loses heat in your rental property, you will have no choice; but an immediate repair.
- Insulate the pipes that are susceptible to freezing like those in the exterior walls and basement.
- Prioritize fire safety by replacing all the batteries in your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and sweeping the chimneys.
Feeling overwhelmed? A property manager might just be what you need to assist you with those cumbersome tasks.
