As the weather gets warmer, spring it’s a good time for landlords to verify the property’s maintenance needs and work on them. The transition from winter to warmer weather often brings several challenges, from lingering snow damage to roof inspections and plumbing and HVAC system check-ups. Taking a proactive approach to seasonal maintenance preserves the property, ensures tenant satisfaction, and protects you as a landlord from conflicts and liability.
In this blog, we’ll cover a spring maintenance checklist to help independent landlords stay ahead of potential issues and ensure your property remains in top condition for the season ahead.
How to Prepare Your Rental Property for Spring’s Arrival
Do a Seasonal Inspection
We at Amhurst do our Saturday Spring Seasonals, a 15-minute visit in which we meet the tenants of the properties we manage to see the unit’s state and chat with the tenants to understand their needs and assess the maintenance work needed. These short inspections help catch minor issues before they become major and expensive to solve. They’re also a great wayt to strengthen your relationship with your tenants because they’ll see you care about the property and their well-being while living in it, potentially encouraging long-term leases that will translate into consistent cash flow.
What you’ll need to do in terms of maintenance will depend on your assessment of the property’s state, but next, we’re going to break down the items we recommend you keep in mind to take care of your property after the winter months.
Spring Maintenance for Rental Properties Checklist
1 – HVAC System Tune-Up
As we transition into spring, servicing the HVAC system is important to ensure it’s ready to keep the tenants comfortable as the temperature gets warmer. While we recommend you hire a professional to perform the servicing, the most frequent maintenance items the HVAC system needs after winter include filter cleaning or replacement, thermostat calibration, refrigerant refill if appropriate, coil cleaning, duct inspection to detect leaks or blockages, and a performance testing to ensure it works properly.
2 – Plumbing Maintenance
Winter can be harsh on a plumbing system, especially in a cold country like Canada. Inspecting plumbing systems for any damage caused by winter’s freezing temperatures and preparing them for increased water usage in the summer is a must during spring maintenance.
Inspect pipes for damp spots, discolouration, musty odours, cracks or clogging caused by freezing temperatures and frozen water inside the pipes that can expand, leading to water flow blockage and burst pipes. On the exterior, ensure outdoor faucets and irrigation systems are functioning properly after being shut off for winter. A damaged hose bib may leak or fail when turned back on.
3 – Roof Inspection and Gutter Cleaning
It’s common to find debris due to weather activity during winter in the roof and gutters, which can lead to water damage and obstruction. Clean out leaves, twigs, and debris from gutters to ensure proper water flow, and hire a professional roofing inspection to detect more visible issues like missing or damaged shingles and identify minor, more subtle issues such as cracked or curling shingles to make the necessary repairs to extend the roof’s lifespan by avoiding structural damage.
4 – Beware of the Spring Thaw-and-Freeze Dangers
In colder regions, we have to deal with the thaw-and-freeze cycle in early spring, in which temperatures fluctuate, rising during the day and dropping below zero at night. This can cause the melting snow and rainwater to refreeze and expand, leading to problems such as ice buildup, flooding, structural and roof damage and slippery sidewalks that can create serious issues for rental properties and become a hazard that could result in liability.
From a property management perspective, there are preventive steps you can take to reduce the impact of this phenomenon on your rental:
- Ice Dams and Roof Leaks Prevention: Melting snow can refreeze at the roof edges, forming ice dams that make it difficult to proper drainage and end up causing roof leaks, water damage, and gutter issues. To prevent this, you can:
- Check attic insulation and ventilation to prevent uneven roof temperatures;
- Consider installing heat cables if your property’s roof is prone to ice dams;
- Talk to your tenant to keep an eye on the roof, and remove the snow or inform the appropriate person to do so before major melts begin.
- Avoid Frozen Pipes and Plumbing Issues: To prevent cracked or burst pipes due to the rapid temperature fluctuations, you can:
- Ensure indoor temperatures are consistent, even if your property is vacant;
- Insulate pipes in basements and exterior walls;
- Look for slow-draining sinks or standing water, which may indicate frozen or blocked pipes.
- Manage Ice and Slippery Sidewalks: The thawing water can refreeze overnight on sidewalks, driveways, and entryways, increasing slip-and-fall risks. Here’s what you can do to keep the property safe:
- Ensure your tenants are clearing the snow before refreezing. You can provide them with gravel, sand, or ice melt to apply to high-traffic areas;
- Check that gutters and downspouts are clear to prevent water from pooling and refreezing;
- Consider applying liquid brine or ice melt before a storm to prevent ice and snow from fixing to the pavement.
- Avoid Basement Flooding and Foundation Weakening: Melting snow can saturate the soil, causing foundation cracks and basement flooding. Avoid this by:
- Checking the basement walls for cracks and sealing them if necessary;
- Ensure downspouts extend at least 3 to 6 feet away from the foundation;
- Grading the landscaping to alter the slope of the soil and redirect water away from the property.
Welcome Spring With Ease
Spring’s arrival offers landlords the opportunity to address winter damage and prepare for the warmer months. By tackling the key tasks we included in this checklist, you can prevent expensive emergency repairs, keep your tenants happy, and preserve the long-term value of your investment. If you want to start spring maintenance on your property but don’t have enough time, hiring a property manager is the best way to have the peace of mind that your property is ahead of seasonal issues. If your property is in the Calgary area, contact us to get a free quote.
