{"id":189571,"date":"2026-10-07T08:33:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T14:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/?p=189571"},"modified":"2026-10-07T08:33:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T14:33:08","slug":"property-winterization-for-landlords","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/property-winterization-for-landlords","title":{"rendered":"Property Winterization for Landlords: How to Keep a Frozen Pipe From Becoming a Denied Claim"},"content":{"rendered":"

Right now, frozen pipes probably aren\u2019t on your radar. But your insurance company is already thinking about them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cold snaps don\u2019t follow your calendar. One hard freeze on a night your tenant is out of town, or during a two-week gap between leases, and a small crack in a supply line can soak your property before anyone notices.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the bill isn\u2019t small. <\/span>State Farm reports<\/span><\/a> that from 2024 through June 2025, it paid more than $628 million on over 20,000 freeze-related water damage claims. The average payout was more than $30,000. That\u2019s one insurer, and an average that high means some claims came in bigger.<\/span><\/p>\n

So here\u2019s the question most landlords never ask: What happens if your insurer decides you didn\u2019t do enough to prevent the damage?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many property policies treat winter prep as more than good maintenance. In certain situations, it\u2019s a condition of coverage. Skip it, and a claim you assumed was covered can get denied.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll walk through the policy language that trips up property owners, the winterization steps that actually matter, and how to make sure your <\/span>landlord insurance coverage<\/span><\/a> holds up when the temperature drops.<\/span><\/p>\n

This winter, make sure your first freeze isn\u2019t your most expensive one.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Winter Clause Most Landlords Never Read<\/span><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start with the fine print, because this is where a lot of winter claims are won or lost. Many property insurance policies include what\u2019s called a <\/span>freezing exclusion<\/span><\/strong>. The wording varies by carrier, but <\/span>most property policies<\/span><\/a> won\u2019t pay for damage from frozen household systems <\/span>unless you used reasonable care to either keep the heat on or shut off the water and drain the system.<\/span><\/strong> Many versions apply that rule when the property is vacant, unoccupied, or under construction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read that again: Whether you\u2019re covered depends on something <\/span>you<\/span><\/em> did or didn\u2019t do <\/span>before <\/span><\/em>the pipe burst.<\/span><\/p>\n

And some policies don\u2019t limit that condition to <\/span>vacant properties<\/span><\/a> at all. They exclude freeze damage unless you maintained heat or drained the plumbing and shut off the water.<\/span><\/p>\n

What this looks like in real life<\/span><\/h3>\n

During the December 2022 freeze in Texas, <\/span>a commercial building owner<\/span><\/a> had turned off the heat while the property was being renovated. He didn\u2019t drain the pipes or shut off the water before leaving for Christmas; a pipe froze, burst, and flooded the building.<\/span><\/p>\n

State Farm denied the claim under its freezing exclusion. The dispute went to federal court, and the court sided with the insurer<\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

That result isn\u2019t unusual. Courts have generally found freezing exclusions clear and enforceable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now think about how often rental properties are in that exact situation:<\/span><\/p>\n