How to Prepare Rental Properties for Spring
Spring—and warmer weather—is (finally) around the corner! Now that things are thawing out, it’s time to do some routine maintenance on your rental properties.
This spring renewal process ensures your property is free of winter damage and makes your home or apartment attractive to new and current tenants. Property improvements can be daunting. Our checklist is a great place to start.
Let’s dive in!
Check Your Roof and Gutters
The first step of spring maintenance is to identify any harsh winter damages in need of repair. Cold, snow, and ice can cause cracks in your gutters, damage to your roof, and more.
It’s essential to complete these repairs before spring rains cause leaks and water damage!
If you don’t have the time, a capable property management company can take on seasonal upkeep. The right property management partner should attend to small repairs before they become big problems. This saves you money compared to contracting a maintenance team.
Put Your Landscaping Plan in Action
There’s nothing wrong with maintaining the same landscaping you’ve had for a while, but consider changing things up a bit. A simple landscaping plan that includes attractive, low-maintenance local plant life can increase curb appeal and property value.
Spring is the perfect time to reseed lawns, plant new flowers or shrubs, or start weed prevention treatment. It pays to keep your property beautiful!
Check HVAC Systems
Many landlords only complete one annual HVAC inspection, but there are benefits to HVAC checks in fall and spring. Routine inspections by an HVAC professional improve property maintenance costs. Simple tasks—such as cleaning air ducts, examining the efficiency of air conditioning units, and cleaning or replacing filters—can have a big impact on your bottom line.
Taking care of this before the weather gets hot means that your tenants will have good air conditioning all summer. Regular maintenance can reduce complaints and increase retention!
Do Routine Safety Checks
Spring is a great time for other annual maintenance as well, including routine safety inspections. Test fire alarms, review emergency evacuation plans and replace expired fire extinguishers.
Consider spring an opportunity to review your landlord insurance and encourage your tenants to look over their rental coverage too. Annual reminders like this ensure everyone has the protection they need for the year.
Make a Note of Upcoming Lease Renewals
In some areas, all leases renew at the same time—for example, in the fall when a local university starts classes. In larger cities, renewals can happen at any time of year. Whether you have one property or 20, make a note of when lease renewals will be coming up.
You’ll want to give your tenants plenty of notice of upcoming changes for the new lease term and set a date for them to confirm their renewal. Planning ahead gives you time to prepare if tenants choose not to renew their lease.
Having a property management company on your team can make dealing with new leases and tenants much easier. If you need someone to take on the renewal process, advertising open units, and tenant vetting, consider working with a company like Henderson.
Are You Ready for Spring?
Being a landlord requires responsibility and effort. Each new season brings another round of tasks and maintenance. Seasonal checklists help you stay on top of the workload and prevent small issues from becoming large, expensive problems.
Need help? Our team at Henderson is here for you. Contact us today to learn more about how our property management services can save you time and money!