Great PMs are proactive and do their best to prevent leaks.They staff onsite during freeze events.They are proactive about checking vacant units, turning on heat, opening cabinet doors, dripping faucets.They are proactive about protecting outdoor/exposed fire suppression systems.They actively education residents about freezes and how to prevent them...Email blasts, signs, flyers, etc.We've had IOT leak detection for probably 15 years or more, so that is not a new or novel idea. 

(This is one of the challenges with Section 8.)The clogged toilet is a separate issue entirely. 

Usually a clogged line or blown capacitor.

Probably quite a bit worse, because every cut you place will break loose mineral buildup and that is not clogging up faucets.

Do not leave it up to a tenant.True:  when the leaves clog the gutters and you have an ice dam form that ruins the interior ceiling, the tenant will NOT be paying for that.Keep up the schedule for all your regular maintenance.

The numbers check is simple if 340 a door prevents even one deductible hit across the property over a couple years it pencils, but only if install and ongoing monitoring are tight and you can show fewer claims or fewer incidents.

Tenant agrees to take reasonableprecautions to prevent frozen water pipes, including but not limitedto maintaining adequate heat in the premises and allowing faucets todrip during freezing temperatures.

Even with family, clear agreements prevent problems later.

If the case was filed strictly for nonpayment, introducing a non-renewal can be seen as switching to a no-fault holdover.MA courts are very technical about this and often require the case to match the notice exactly.Timing of the non-renewal notice matters.If it was served after the eviction was filed, judges frequently require dismissal and refiling.If it was served before filing, sometimes it can be pled correctly from the start.Month-to-month vs. term lease.Since the lease ends Feb 28, issuing a non-renewal prevents an automatic month-to-month rollover, which is smart.But it can conflict procedurally with an active nonpayment case.Judges don’t like mixed theories.MA Housing Court typically wants one clean basis: either nonpayment or expiration of tenancy, not both at once.So yes, in MA it is very common that:• Non-renewal during a pending nonpayment eviction• Forces dismissal• And requires refiling as a holdover after lease expirationThat said, refiling as a holdover after Feb 28 can sometimes be faster and cleaner than fighting procedural issues mid-case.You’re not wrong to question it, but procedurally this is one of those states where doing the “right” thing can still reset the clock.

It can get complicated and you're better off having an attorney handle it from the beginning to prevent delays.