Looking for Advice on upcoming Winter Storm
Investor · Member since 2026 · 3 posts · 3 votes
Looking for Advice on upcoming Winter Storm
Most Popular Reply
Investor · Toledo, OH · Member since 2020 · 28 posts · 16 votes
8moQuote from @Zach Goldberg:
Hi all,
My name is Zach. I'm new to the BP Forum and somewhat new to real estate (<1 year invested). My property is in upstate NY where we are expecting temperatures between -4 and 20 degrees F for at least the next 10 days. I am not conveniently located to access my property in the case of emergency (3-5 hour drive). Any suggestions on what to communicate to my tenants with this frigid forecast? Is it worth it to have them keep the faucets dripping? Open the cabinets under the sink? My main concern is the pipes freezing/bursting. Am I overthinking this / over reacting?
Any thoughts or advice would be helpful!
Good Morning Everyone!
As you are well aware, it will be a frigid week this week! Temperatures will be falling to -12F on some nights. Please leave your COLD water faucets turned on in the bathroom AND kitchen sinks before you go to bed, every night. If you will be going to work for more than half the day, please leave them on when you go to work as well.
When you wake up in the morning, turn on your HOT water for atleast 60 seconds to get the pipes cleared out.
Plumbers are very expensive, and hard to get to come out during this time of year!
Any questions,
Call our office....
and in our lease agreements, we have this...
- Tenant agrees to take reasonable
precautions to prevent frozen water pipes, including but not limited
to maintaining adequate heat in the premises and allowing faucets to
drip during freezing temperatures. If water pipes freeze or burst
due to Tenant’s failure to take these precautions, such failure
shall be considered Tenant negligence.
Tenant shall be fully responsible for all costs associated with
unthawing frozen pipes, repairs, and any resulting water damage.
These costs may be deducted from the Tenant’s security deposit as
permitted under Ohio law.
Tenant shall immediately notify Landlord of any frozen or suspected
frozen pipes.
Hope this helps
9 Replies
- Rental Property Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2017 · 266 posts · 188 votes8mo
Quote from @Zach Goldberg:
Hi all,
My name is Zach. I'm new to the BP Forum and somewhat new to real estate (<1 year invested). My property is in upstate NY where we are expecting temperatures between -4 and 20 degrees F for at least the next 10 days. I am not conveniently located to access my property in the case of emergency (3-5 hour drive). Any suggestions on what to communicate to my tenants with this frigid forecast? Is it worth it to have them keep the faucets dripping? Open the cabinets under the sink? My main concern is the pipes freezing/bursting. Am I overthinking this / over reacting?
Any thoughts or advice would be helpful!
You are not overthinking it. This is a serious threat to your property. You nailed it with the leaving the faucets dripping, and opening the cabinets. I know this sounds silly, but telling them to not turn the heat below 55 degrees, I can't tell you how many times I have had tenants turned the heat completely off. I would not be shy about communicating daily with them. Tenants don't care nearly as much about issues as you do and will often forget to take any of these actions.
If your tenants notice a pipe that is frozen, tell them to make sure they leave faucets on. This can help relieve pressure once the pipes freeze. If have access to the water shut off, make sure they know where it is incase they notice a burst.
It's too late now, but going forward if you have any areas where pipes are exposed, I would recommend heat tape combined with pipe insulation.
- Investor · Toledo, OH · Member since 2020 · 28 posts · 16 votes8moThis is what we wrote to all our tenants:
Quote from @Zach Goldberg:
Hi all,
My name is Zach. I'm new to the BP Forum and somewhat new to real estate (<1 year invested). My property is in upstate NY where we are expecting temperatures between -4 and 20 degrees F for at least the next 10 days. I am not conveniently located to access my property in the case of emergency (3-5 hour drive). Any suggestions on what to communicate to my tenants with this frigid forecast? Is it worth it to have them keep the faucets dripping? Open the cabinets under the sink? My main concern is the pipes freezing/bursting. Am I overthinking this / over reacting?
Any thoughts or advice would be helpful!
Good Morning Everyone!
As you are well aware, it will be a frigid week this week! Temperatures will be falling to -12F on some nights. Please leave your COLD water faucets turned on in the bathroom AND kitchen sinks before you go to bed, every night. If you will be going to work for more than half the day, please leave them on when you go to work as well.
When you wake up in the morning, turn on your HOT water for atleast 60 seconds to get the pipes cleared out.
Plumbers are very expensive, and hard to get to come out during this time of year!
Any questions,
Call our office....
and in our lease agreements, we have this...- Tenant agrees to take reasonable
precautions to prevent frozen water pipes, including but not limited
to maintaining adequate heat in the premises and allowing faucets to
drip during freezing temperatures. If water pipes freeze or burst
due to Tenant’s failure to take these precautions, such failure
shall be considered Tenant negligence.
Tenant shall be fully responsible for all costs associated with
unthawing frozen pipes, repairs, and any resulting water damage.
These costs may be deducted from the Tenant’s security deposit as
permitted under Ohio law.Tenant shall immediately notify Landlord of any frozen or suspected
frozen pipes.
Hope this helps - Tenant agrees to take reasonable
- MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes8mo
If electric remains on and the heat inside is set to 60s would it be likely for pipes to freeze in 20 degree weather?
- 8moMelanie ThomasBusiness MemberReal Estate Broker · San Antonio · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 489 votes
Kudos to you for getting ahead of the winter snap. This is exactly the right mindset as a landlord.
We sent an email to all of our residents reminding them to drip faucets, cover exterior faucets, open cabinets under sinks and keep the heat set consistently. Clear communication goes a long way in preventing major damage.
With a 3 to 5 hour drive, I would strongly recommend hiring a local vendor or handyman to knock this out for you. Your time is worth more than what it would cost to drive there and do it yourself, and having someone local gives you peace of mind if something does go wrong.
You’re not overthinking it at all. Frozen pipes can turn into a very expensive problem, and prevention is always cheaper than repairs.
RentWerx Property Management4.73300 Reviews - 8moDavid PeschioBusiness MemberRichmond, VA · Member since 2019 · 358 posts · 181 votes
Also, make sure all outside spigots lines are closed and drained. If that is not possible then make sure they are covered and all vents to crawl spaces are closed as well.
- Real Estate Agent · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 555 posts · 320 votes8mo
Not overreacting at all — prolonged temps that low can absolutely cause issues, especially in older properties or ones with plumbing on exterior walls.
A few standard cold-weather precautions many owners use:
- Keep heat consistent (usually no lower than ~55°F), even if tenants are away.
- Let faucets drip slightly on the coldest nights, especially for pipes along exterior walls.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air to circulate.
- Make sure tenants know where the main water shutoff is in case of emergency.
- Ask them to report any loss of water pressure right away — that’s often an early warning sign.
It’s also helpful to remind them to keep garage doors closed (if applicable) and to remove hoses from exterior spigots.
Clear communication now can prevent a very expensive problem later. You’re doing the right thing by being proactive.
- 8moColleen F.Pro MemberInvestor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
@Jules Aton depends where the pipes are.It is outside wall and under the house pipes most at risk and if you think you might have an outage set the heat up a little so it will take longer to cool to freezing temps.
- MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes8mo
Quote from @Colleen F.:
@Jules Aton depends where the pipes are.It is outside wall and under the house pipes most at risk and if you think you might have an outage set the heat up a little so it will take longer to cool to freezing temps.
Thanks! I have a beach place that is vacant and causing me a little anxiety with this prolonged freeze. The neighbor who has been there for years said no history of issues so hopefully the electric stays on and all continues to go well.
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