Old Santa will be doing his checks on his sleigh ready for the run up to Christmas! It’s easy to get excited and forget about your responsibilities as a landlord. But it is still winter – a potentially troublesome time for property owners – and it’s important to stay vigilant even while you’re looking forward to your turkey and Christmas pudding on the 25th.
A checklist to help out our landlords
We thought it would be really helpful for landlords to have a mini-checklist to think about when you’re wrapping things up for Christmas. So, before putting your feet up in front of the telly to watch ‘cracking Christmas entertainment,’ make sure you have completed all of the following tasks:
What do your tenants have planned?
Is your property going to be unoccupied for a couple of weeks over the festive period? If your tenants are spending Christmas with their families, you’ll need to ensure the heating is on low but never off to prevent the possibility of frozen pipes, and generally keep things ticking over until they get back.
When do they return?
In addition to the above point – remember to find out when your tenants are returning from their Christmas holidays, as they may be offended if you’re still letting yourself in to check up on things once the property is no longer vacant.
Check for cracks
Take a thorough look at the pipes and brickwork of your property – if there are any cracks, get them fixed ASAP. If water seeps into those cracks and freezes, the damage caused could be expensive and time-consuming to repair, not to mention causing potential damp problems from water ingress etc.
Lay down some guidelines for festive decorating
If your tenants celebrate Christmas, they may well wish to put up some festive decorations in your property. See what your tenants are planning so you can let them know what is and isn’t acceptable (for example, are you happy for them to decorate the roof?) and remind them to stay safe while they deck the halls (switch off Christmas lights when unattended, don’t leave candles near flammable objects, etc.)
Check your insurance policy
If your house is being left unoccupied for an extended period of time, we recommend checking your insurance policy. Your obligations may differ while the property is vacant.
Seasons Greetings
Why not send your tenant(s) a Christmas card? Whether your tenant celebrates Christmas or not, it does not harm to send a nice note to your tenant wishing them good fortune during the festive period. These are the same people that look after what could be your biggest investment.
Make sure you spend plenty of time with family & friends
Many of us work hard in many aspects of our lives juggling work, investments and family. Christmas is a good time to get the time back you spent working hard during the year.
MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL, FROM MICHAEL, RACHAEL, KATIE & HOOCH
