A Landlord’s Essential Guide to Winter Success

The official first day of winter is the same date every year, December 21st. But there’s another date that matters more to anyone managing property and that’s the date when the winter weather begins.

When do your residents turn on their heat?

When does the first snow or ice storm arrive?

I live in northern New England so despite all of the time I spend wishing it weren’t true, we always have some signs of winter as early as September. I always have some residents who turn on their heat in September. And then once I know the heat has been turned on it’s always just a question of when we’ll see that first snowflake.

How does anyone managing rental property deal with winter successfully, just like everything else you do, it’s best to be prepared, and have a plan in place!

In case you’re new to winter or just new to managing rental property, cold weather brings on a flurry of challenges, from frozen pipes to heating systems that decide the coldest of winter days is the perfect time to quit.

When is the best time to start preparing for winter? Well, really the answer to that is as soon as winter is over. Yes, as soon as the winter season is over I have my heating systems cleaned and inspected and readied for the next year. As soon as winter is over I start negotiating fuel contracts for the following year. By mid-summer, I work on negotiating my snow removal contracts and replacing windows or doors that may need replacing. As soon as the leaves fall I have gutters and downspouts cleaned.

How do I keep it all straight?

How do I make sure I’ve gotten everything done?

I put together a checklist of all the items I need to make sure I’ve either done or considered and as soon as the winter comes to an end I take out the checklist for the next year and start working on it. My goal is to have the checklist 100% completed by the time the first snow hits the ground each year.

Maybe you’re new to property management, or maybe you recently purchased your first rental property, or maybe you’re a seasoned property manager, no matter what brought you to this article, I can tell you that the one key to success this winter season is preparedness. Make sure you have prepared for all that winter is sure to bring and you will have a much better chance of thriving this winter season than you would otherwise.

I wish all of you a winter season filled with seamless property management! If I can help make that happen by sharing my Winter Checklist with you, please see the Winter Checklist box below. May this resource help you to navigate the winter season with confidence. Best of luck, and here's to a winter of successful property management!