MD Rental Winter Checklist: Protect Your Property Outside This Season

A helpful guide from Blue Door Residential Property Management & The Norman Home Team of Keller Williams Gateway

This is part two of our series on the winter maintenance checklist focusing on the exterior of the home and the property.

As the colder temps have arrived, now is the time to work through your winter checklist to ensure your investment property stays in tip-top condition. Winter is one of the hardest seasons on our properties in Maryland because of the freezing and thawing that occurs all winter long.

This guide will focus on the exterior of your home to help reduce expenses associated with winter issues, improve safety conditions and to protect your valuable investment property.

Outside Maintenance For Home & Property

Inspect Exterior of the House

Check for any leaks, rot or damage to the outside doors, windows, vinyl siding, deck or porch, overhangs, foundation, walkways and stairs. As the leaves begin to fall, they can obstruct your view of issues that will lead to bigger problems later. Take time to inspect any railings to ensure they are tight, and working in proper order.
Rodents love to find ways to winter in your home. Look for any areas where mice or other rodents may be able to get in and seal those cracks or entry ways.

Inspect the Roof for Leaks and Missing Shingles

Snow and ice can quickly build up adding a lot of additional stress to the roof and gutters. Weak areas where water can get in will freeze, expand and make the issue worse quickly.
Inspect inside and out on the roof for leaks, and look for missing shingles. Replace any shingles and venting that is missing or call a professional to handle the repair to ensure your roof is water tight this season.

Inspect the Porch/Deck Roof, Overhang & Decking

Snow and ice can quickly pull down a rotting roof or overhang on the porch or deck. Inspect the roof, overhang, columns, polls, decking, stairs and railing. Replace any rots quickly and ensure these items are secure. Winter time falls due to ice on stairs and sidewalks can be a real headache for a property owner. Ensuring the railing is secure and the decking and stairs are in good condition is a great place to start.

Clean Out the Gutters

Clogged gutters are a serious issue for many homes, especially in winter. Melting snow and heavy, wet leaves clog gutters preventing them from draining properly.
As that trapped water freezes, the excess weight often pulls the gutters off the house. Not only could the gutters get damaged but this could also damage the facade of the house where they were attached.

Check for Cracks, Gaps and Openings

Any small cracks or gaps in the foundation, door jams, windows or attic could become an easy entry way for rodents to enter. The damage done by rodents chewing through walls and wiring can run in the thousands if not dealt with quickly. Check for gaps around any exterior pipes that extend inside the house, entrance doors, vents, window jambs, crawlspaces and attics.

Winterize Outdoor Water Hookups

Check all outdoor spigots, garden hoses and sprinkler system to ensure they are turned off. If possible turn the water off from the inside as well to these items to ensure they are not turned on again during the winter.

Take down garden hoses and store them for winter. The freezing water in the hose can cause them to break and wear down quickly. Make sure to drain all the water from the pipes and hoses. Turn the system off, cover spigots, and properly store the hoses.

Inspect Trees For Possible Trimming

Heavy snow and strong wind storms can bring down tree limbs onto the property or worse, onto the rooftop. Look for any dead branches that are large enough to damage the house, fence, cars or property and trim as much as possible. If there are large trees that are showing signs of disease, call a tree service to take it down before the snow and high windstorms take care of it for you.

Snow Removal Plans

Driveways and sidewalks need to be cleared to keep them safe. Hiring a service to remove the snow and to salt where necessary will improve the safety of anyone on the property.
If the tenant is responsible for the removal of snow, ensure to discuss your expectations with them regarding shoveling and when to apply salt. Not every owner approves of the use of salt so setting expectations with the tenants is important to ensure everyone has the same understanding.

Take Away

Staying on top of exterior maintenance on a regular basis will protect the value of your investment and will provide a safe environment for tenants and guests. Hiring a great property management company to handle these tasks for you can be a great way to ensure this maintenance is happening yearly to protect your investment.

If you have questions or would like to discuss property management services for your investment property, give us a call at **443.252.3385 or email us at info@bluedoor-pm.com today!

Winter Maintenance Checklist For Rental Properties - Exterior