What’s on Your Fall Maintenance Checklist?

Question

As we head into fall, I’m reminding Northern Kentucky rental-property owners that a little preventive maintenance now can help avoid costly winter emergencies.

Here are a few items I recommend checking:

• Service the furnace and replace the filter
• Inspect windows and exterior doors for drafts or moisture
• Clear gutters and confirm downspouts drain away from the foundation
• Check the roof for loose or damaged materials
• Test smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors
• Disconnect exterior hoses before freezing temperatures arrive
• Remind tenants to report leaks, moisture, or heating problems promptly

Seasonal inspections also create an opportunity to identify deferred maintenance before a small concern becomes a major repair. They can protect the property while helping tenants remain safe and comfortable.

For landlords who manage their own rentals: What fall maintenance items are always on your checklist? Have you learned any lessons the hard way?

Mike Fisher · Answer

Good list, Vicky. Managing in the Chicago suburbs, freeze-thaw is what gets us, so a few I would add from lessons learned the hard way:

Winterize any vacant or slow to lease unit for real: shut the water at the main, drain the lines, and set the thermostat to a safe minimum. A burst pipe in a vacant is the most expensive winter call there is.

Have the furnace serviced by someone who will actually flag a cracked heat exchanger, not just swap the filter. A carbon monoxide problem is life safety and liability, not comfort.

Test every smoke and CO detector and log the date. In Illinois both are required, and a documented check protects you if anything ever goes wrong.

Walk the grading and downspouts before the ground freezes. Water pooling at the foundation in November becomes an ice and seepage problem in January.

The lesson that cost us: assuming a tenant would report no heat early. Now we send a short message before the first cold snap with one number to call, and we ask them to run the heat once before they actually need it, so a dead furnace shows up in October, not at 2am in January.

Curious what others do for vacant unit coverage in the coldest markets.

Jim Johnson · Answer

A few I’d add to your list:

• • Check exposed pipes in basements and crawlspaces and insulate where needed.
• • Make sure exterior faucets are fully shut down and protected before the first freeze.
• • Look for small plumbing leaks while you’re already inside the property.
• • Check exterior drainage around the foundation, especially anywhere water tends to collect.

• Check exposed pipes in basements and crawlspaces and insulate where needed.

• Make sure exterior faucets are fully shut down and protected before the first freeze.

• Look for small plumbing leaks while you’re already inside the property.

• Check exterior drainage around the foundation, especially anywhere water tends to collect.

The lesson for me is that the cheap fall maintenance is almost always better than the emergency call in the middle of winter. Small leaks and vulnerable pipes are two things I’d rather find early.

Richard F. · Answer

Don't forget to pour in a little anti-freeze to toilet bowl/trap!

Drew Sygit · Answer

RV anti-freeze!

James Mc Ree · Answer

Mice look for new homes as temperatures drop. Seal any gaps and remind tenants to set their baits and traps.

Vicky McIntosh · Answer

Absolutely! Those are great additions, Jim. I especially agree that catching the small leaks and vulnerable pipes early can save an owner from a much larger repair later. Preventative maintenance is one of those things that may seem minor in the moment, but it can make a huge difference in protecting the property long-term. Thanks for adding these!

Vicky McIntosh · Answer

James, what a great reminder to deter those pesty rodents.

Vicky McIntosh · Answer

These are great additions, Mike! I especially like the idea of having tenants run the heat before the first real cold snap. That’s such a simple preventative step that can save a late-night emergency call later.

Here in Northern Kentucky, we definitely deal with the freeze/thaw cycle too, so checking vacant properties and making sure plumbing, heat, gutters, and drainage are ready is huge. I’m a big believer that preventative maintenance is almost always cheaper than emergency maintenance.

Thanks for adding your experience to the conversation! I’m curious to hear what others are doing with their vacant units during the winter as well.

What’s on Your Fall Maintenance Checklist?

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