All landlords handle maintenance their own way, but these are 3 maintenance tips that every property owner should adopt. We are talking about routine maintenance items that are required to keep your home in excellent condition as well as safety tips that will keep your tenants and your property protected.
Preventative Maintenance Needs
The first tip is to take care of all your preventative maintenance needs on a regular basis.
- Service your furnace once a year to be sure that everything is working properly. Have a tech come out and go over the furnace from top to bottom. This will extend the life of your furnace and ensure that everything works properly. If you have an air conditioning unit, do the same thing for the cooling system.
- Clean out exhaust ducts. This is something that is often overlooked. There’s often a buildup of lint, and sometimes you’ll find a bird’s nest or a squirrel nest. Check and clean these ducts to prevent fire or hazardous situations. Also, it extends the life of your dryer.
- Clean your wood burning chimney and fireplace once a year. Build up can cause an unsafe situation, so have a licensed and insured technician check and clean your chimneys.
- Replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide twice a year. We do this at daylight savings time and it can be a tenant task if you have it in your lease.
- Change the furnace filters quarterly.
These routine maintenance items reduce your liability and keeps tenants safe. They also contribute to reduced maintenance expenses over the long term.
Protect Against Storm Damage
In Colorado Springs, we often have high winds, especially in the spring and during summer storms. There’s also the threat of hail storms. It’s not a bad idea to have your roof and gutters checked out every year. You don’t want any leaks in the attic and you want to make sure water is being pushed away from the house and foundation.Clean Out the Gutters
If your property is in an older neighborhood with tall and mature trees, clean the gutters once a year to get rid of leaves, pine needles, branches, or build up. Keeping them clean will ensure they are working effectively.
These are the 3 most important maintenance tips we have for you today. If you need any help, please contact us at Cornerstone Real Estate Team.