Enjoy a Stress-Free Holiday Season

A Guide for Landlords and Property Managers

Ah, the holidays are upon us, it’s a magical time of year! What’s even better than turkey and pumpkin pie?

Time off!

What ruins time off?

Urgent or avoidable calls from tenants.

Before you leave for your days off, I have a few quick thoughts that will help you ensure you’re time off can be spent with family and friends rather than back at your rental property handling avoidable issues.

Tenant Communication:

Touch base with your tenants: Share your holiday schedule and provide them with contact information in case of an emergency.

Give tenants the lowdown on how to handle extra trash or large bulk items such as trees. Let tenants know if the trash removal schedule is changing due to holidays.

Tenants often leave town for vacations, be sure you remind them that the heat cannot be turned off when the exterior temperature is below 32 degrees. You definitely don’t want to get a call from a first-floor tenant telling you water is flowing through their ceiling from a burst pipe on the second-floor from an apartment where the tenant turned their heat off before leaving town.

Quick yet clear communication is key to a hassle-free holiday season.

Property Maintenance:

Be sure to have a plan for handling maintenance emergencies. The heat may stop working, a pipe may burst, the toilet might clog, etc.

Make sure you have contacts who are committed to answering your calls if something goes wrong. You don’t want to spend Thanksgiving dinner calling every plumber in the area rather than eating your turkey!

Confirm that your snow removal company is ready to handle a storm that comes in. You don’t want to be peppered with calls from tenants who can’t make it to their holiday party because your snow removal company is nowhere to be seen during a winter storm. Arrange for extra trash pickups if necessary.

Tenants will have extra trash during the holiday season, be sure to pre-arrange for extra pickups if necessary.

Security Measures:

During the holiday season, the risk of burglaries increases.

Be sure common area doors have properly working locks.

Also, be sure outdoor lighting is adequate and working properly.

Remind your tenants to be vigilant about security measures, such as locking doors and windows, particularly if they have travel plans.

By taking these proactive steps, you can expect a positive and stress-free holiday season for both yourself and your tenants. Wishing you and your tenants a joyful and peaceful celebration!