Owning a Utah property is hard work! Rent collection, screening renters, performing inspections, scrambling to fill vacant units—it can take up a lot of your time and precious energy. Often, the most time-consuming part of being a Salt Lake City property owner—especially when you own multiple properties—is maintenance.
Spring, summer, fall, or winter—the need for maintenance never really ends. That’s okay, of course: it’s all part of the territory of owning rental real estate. If you happen to work with a great Salt Lake City property management company, you can let them take care of maintenance—and get all that time back!
If not, this seasonal maintenance overview should help you get through the year—and all the property maintenance that comes with it!
Spring Maintenance
- Clear the gutters: When winter recedes, it tends to leave a lot of debris behind. It’s a good idea to clear out your property’s gutters before the spring rains arrive, so you don’t have to worry about water backing up and causing leaks.
- Clean the exterior: This is also a good time of year to give exterior components of your property a good cleaning, whether it’s power washing the driveway or the siding.
- Check the HVAC: Inspecting your rental’s HVAC (heating, ventilation, and cooling) system once a year is essential. It’s a good idea to have it professionally cleaned and inspected twice a year—once in spring and once in fall—to make sure it’s ready to handle the changing seasons.
- Landscaping care: Not every rental property owner is responsible for landscaping (things like mowing the lawn are more often the renter’s job in single-family rental properties). But on multi-unit properties, you may need to re-seed some grass and mulch some shrubs.
Summer Maintenance
- Seasonal pest control: Summer is the time when many pests—especially ants, mosquitoes, wasps, and other insects—become a major problem. It’s also the best time to take measures to halt these invaders.
- Check the sprinkler system: Service the irrigation system before summer gets in full swing to save on water and make sure it’s functioning properly.
- Get summer amenities ready: If you happen to have a multi-family property that includes outdoor amenities like pools and barbecue grills, take some time to make sure they’re all clean and in good working order.
- Avoid fire dangers: Make sure exteriors are free of potential fire hazards. Test smoke detectors and fire alarms, and make sure all units have functioning fire extinguishers.
Fall Maintenance
Fall Maintenance- Check the exterior: Make sure siding for your Utah property is in good shape, and inspect around windows and doors for peeling caulk, cracked weather stripping, and other potential air leaks.
- Inspect the roof and gutters: Fall is a good time to schedule your annual roof inspection. Have it done after the leaves have fallen, so you can have gutter cleaning included in the roof maintenance.
- Animal proofing: Mice and other critters will be looking for a place to hole up for the winter. Plug potential cracks and holes where they could get in, and invest in some traps if necessary.
- Ready the attic: Make sure the attic is well ventilated and has sufficient insulation for the coming winter.
Winter Maintenance
- Check the chimney: If you own a property with one or more working fireplaces, always have the chimney cleaned and inspected before the heating season begins.
- Winterize pipes: Our Salt Lake City property management team understands the dangers of burst pipes during a cold snap! Winterize all pipes that don’t have insulation before the cold weather comes.
- Flush the water heater: You can get away with doing this just once every two years, but it’s essential to eliminate mineral buildup that can decrease efficiency and cause damage over time.
- Landscape cleanup: If you’re responsible for landscaping chores for the Salt Lake City property you own, take care of tree pruning and removing debris before winter sets in.
Tired of Maintenance? Choose Reeder Asset Management
Tired of Maintenance? Choose RMaintaining a rental property as a big job, and it’s hard enough if you own a single rental property. However, if you’re thinking about investing in additional properties, the chores that come with it can be daunting, to say the least!
When you hit this kind of wall, it really helps to work with a great Salt Lake City property management company. Professional property management services offer property owners plenty of advantages when it comes to maintenance:
- Coordination of work orders between vendors, residents, and owners—including a No Vendor Mark Up Guarantee
- Access to in-house maintenance staff, as well as a network of high-quality, licensed, and insured contractors
- An easy to use online owner portal to check on your investments, and a renter portal to make requests
- Lower maintenance and repair costs thanks to volume discounts
- 24/7 availability for emergency repairs.
Keeping your property well maintained is also a great way to keep your renters happy, which increases retention and reduces vacancies. It’s a win-win!
Take your seasonal maintenance to the next level by downloading your free copy of our Seasonal Maintenance Checklist! You’ll keep your to-dos streamlined and ensure every task is managed for your Salt Lake City property.