Top 5 Winter Care Tips For Ashford Landlords

Winter is a challenging time for landlords. It is likely that your tenants will have more requests or complaints than they do in other seasons, and your rental property is at greater risk in winter than at other times of the year. Therefore, it is likely that Ashford landlords feel slightly stressed and under pressure right now, but we are here to help.

Plan for all eventualities

At Stevens Property Sales and Lettings, we are pleased to say we have worked closely with many landlords in Ashford. We know the common problems at this time of year and we are happy to present our top five winter care tips for Ashford landlords.

1. Bleed radiators
2. Lag pipes
3. Clean gutters
4. Advise tenants to leave a constant heat in rooms to avoid condensation
5. Buy equipment to deal with weather problems and leave in the property

Bleed radiators

This is a simple tip and it is one that some people believe is the responsibility of the tenant. However, a landlord that bleeds radiators in their rental property will provide a fantastic service for their tenant and they will also be confident that the work has been carried out in an effective manner.

Bleeding a radiator is a simple process and there are many guides on YouTube to follow if you aren’t confident about the process. If your radiators are warm at the bottom but cold at the top, there is trapped air and you need to bleed them. Bleeding your radiators will ensure your rooms are heated properly.

Lag pipes

Landlords and tenants should try to avoid frozen or burst pipes if possible because the consequences can be dire. A burst, broken or frozen pipe can ruin homes, they can be costly to repair and there is often a great deal of inconvenience in dealing with the aftermath of burst pipes.

Lagging your pipes creates a level of insulation that ensures the temperature around pipes is maintained, minimising the likelihood of anything untoward happening.

Clean gutters

Messy gutters are unsightly but the real issue with blocked gutters comes with the fact that this increases the likelihood of water damage at your home. Blocked gutters lead to flooding and water damage, and again, this can be very problematic, time-consuming and expensive to fix.

Advise tenants to leave a constant heat in rooms to avoid condensation

Condensation is an issue that landlords must consider because over time, this causes mould and it can significantly impact on the value of a property. In the shorter term, condensation can make homes uncomfortable, so tenants will not enjoy living in the property.

To prevent condensation occurring, it is recommended that a constant level of heat is maintained in a room. Therefore, landlords should speak with tenants and impose the importance of maintaining heat in their home.

Buy equipment to deal with weather problems and leave in the property

A prepared tenant and landlord are more likely to deal with issues if they arise. Therefore, a savvy landlord will invest in shovels, grit, torches and other equipment which can be used if the weather takes a turn for the worse in winter.

Hopefully, you or the tenant won’t need to use the items but if you do, you will be very glad that you have access to them.

If you are a landlord looking to care for your tenants and rental property, contact Stevens Property Sales and Lettings and we will do what we can to assist you.