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Winter Is Around the Corner: Is Your Rental Property Prepared? – Keyrenter Houston

Keyrenter Property Management Blog Houston Winter Preparation

According to the Insurance Information Institute, winter weather events are the second leading cause of property insurance claims. In 2019, winter-related claims accounted for $2.1 billion in property losses.

As a property owner in Texas, you might assume that you’re safe from these losses. However, Texas does experience cooler temperatures in the winter months, and you can take steps to prepare.

Read on to learn more about preparing your rental property for winter.

A Winter-Weather Checklist for Rental Property

Protecting your rental property requires preparation. The following are the most important steps you can take to protect your investment from damage.

1. Conduct a Heating and Air Conditioning Inspection

Check that your HVAC systems are running efficiently. Also remember to replace the filters.

2. Check the Ductwork

If you haven’t cleaned and inspected your ductwork in a few years, this year’s winter prep is a good time.

Debris builds up gradually, so experts recommend cleaning a property’s ductwork every 3-5 years. Doing so reduces strain on the HVAC system and keeps it running efficiently.

3. Inspect the Roof and Gutters

As you examine the roof, look for shingles that are cracked and broken. These can work loose during a storm.

Gutters should be free from dirt and debris. Clearing gutters and downspouts protects the roof and interior ceiling from leaks.

4. Inspect Doors, Windows, and Walls

Perform an interior and exterior inspection for cracks, and use caulking or sealant to patch any problem areas.

Also look for any gaps that indicate windows and doors aren’t closing securely.

5. Inspect the Chimney

A fireplace adds value to your rental property and increases its appeal and comfort for renters. However, a fireplace can create risks when not properly maintained.

As the winter approaches, ensure that your property’s fireplace and chimney are safe. A professional chimney sweep can clean the chimney and inspect it for signs of damage.

6. Be a Protector of Your Detectors

All states require property owners to install working smoke alarms. More than half of all states require working carbon monoxide detectors.

Your rental agreement should spell out smoke and carbon monoxide detector maintenance responsibilities. If those responsibilities fall to you, change the batteries and test these alarms as you prepare the home for winter.

If your rental agreement requires renters to maintain detectors, remind them of this responsibility.

7. Conduct a Landscaping Inspection

Protecting your rental home and your tenants requires preparing not just the home but the rental property as a whole. This includes the yard.

Inspect trees and bushes for signs of weakness. Remove any branches that appear unable to withstand strong winds.

A winter property inspection is also a good time to check sidewalks and other walkways. As you inspect the property’s cement work, look for cracks and raised areas.

If an inspection reveals even minor cracks, use a concrete sealant to patch them. Doing so regularly—when you prepare your property for winter—can prevent minor cracks from becoming bigger problems.

8. Communicate with Tenants

As the owner, you’re ultimately responsible for protecting your rental home from damage. However, your efforts rely on your tenants. All the steps you take can mean little if your tenants aren’t informed and don’t follow through.

You can manage these steps and communicate with tenants yourself. However, hiring an experienced property manager is one of the best ways to ensure clear communication. Property managers can help you find the best tenants. They can also help you make the most of your investment.

9. Protect Vacant Properties

If your rental property is a vacation home or will otherwise be vacant for extended periods this winter, be sure to regularly inspect the property for signs of trouble. This is especially important throughout the winter months.

Don’t Let the Winter Season Leave You and Your Tenants Frosty

A popular adage suggests that you don’t want to borrow trouble. You don’t want to rent it either though. Preparing your rental property for winter saves you and your tenants from inconvenience, financial loss, and potential injuries.

Follow these rental property tips to prepare for winter. If you have questions or want to enlist a professional property manager, contact Keyrenter Houston for assistance today.

Property owners: Are You Doing This Every Year? – Keyrenter Houston

As everyone knows, time flies. It’s easy to put off things that need to be done until next week, next month, or next year. However, for property owners, there are several things that should be done annually, no matter what.

Keyrenter Property Management Blog Houston Property Owners

Renew Leases

When an annual lease expires, most state laws say the default result is a month-to-month lease. In order to keep your properties occupied, you should make sure all your leases are renewed for an entire year. This will also help property owners make better long-range plans by opening the discussion with tenants and forcing them to make definitive decisions.

Analyze Your Insurance and Renters Rates

It’s easy to assume that just because you have insurance and set renters rates, you don’t need to worry about that anymore. However, insurance companies frequently adjust rates and programs, and checking to make sure your rates are comparable to other companies’ offerings is a good idea. Take a close look at any coverage changes as well. Be sure that what you are charging for rent is still commensurate with what the local market is asking.

Confirms Locks and Keys Still Work

When tenants decide to change the locks, they often forget to tell the property owners and managers and to provide a new key. It’s important for you to be able to access the property in order to handle repairs or to access the unit once the property is vacated. Check once a year that the locks and keys are still in working order.

Update Tenant Contact and Emergency Information

It’s easy to lose track of your renters if phone numbers or e-mail addresses change over time. Double check that all your contact information is current annually and you won’t have to scramble around when you actually need to touch base with your tenants.

Check Maintenance Items

Let’s face it. Many tenants rent because they don’t want to be bothered with regular home owners’ chores like changing furnace filters, fixing leaky faucets or changing smoke detector batteries. Although most tenants will call for major problems or repairs like a broken appliance, many will tend to ignore those small maintenance items around a property. The problem is that those maintenance items end up costing you money. Leaky faucets and running toilets increase your water bill and dirty furnace filters can run up your heating and cooling costs. Making sure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order with fresh batteries is an important safety consideration.

Clean The Gutters

What autumn arrives and trees start dropping their leaves around your property, be sure to take the time to clean out your gutters so that water is properly routed away from the foundation of your property. That will help you avoid major water damage problems down the road.

By being faithful to an annual checklist of things to do with your rental properties, you can keep your property safe and maintained and your tenants happy and settled.

How Drought Tolerant Landscaping Increases Property Value and Appeal – Keyrenter Houston

Keyrenter Property Management Blog Houston Landscaping

Are you a homeowner? If so, then you probably understand how much small changes can impact property value. This includes adjustments made to your landscaping.

Believe it or not, improvements to your home’s landscaping is one of the best investments you can make. This is especially true with drought-tolerant landscaping which reduces the amount of water needed to maintain the vegetation around your rental property.

Keyrenter Houston looks at various drought-tolerant landscaping benefits. Keep reading to get the inside scoop on how to keep your property looking great while reducing your water usage.

Save Money By Saving Water

For starters, drought-tolerant landscape design is a great way to reduce water usage at your home. After all, most homeowners waste a tremendous amount of water in an effort to keep their lawns looking healthy and beautiful.

Cutting back on water usage is an ideal way to save money. Thus you are reducing your monthly expenses while also helping to take care of the environment.

No Need for a Lawn Mower

During the warmer months of the year, lawn care can often begin to feel like a full-time job. Most people mow their grass at least once every two weeks, if not more. Drought resistant landscaping largely eliminates the need to own a mower.

Make Your Property Look Larger and More Beautiful

Another benefit is the fact that your property will actually look larger and more beautiful than before. This is because the edges of your lawn will seemingly melt away rather than butting up against boundaries.

This results in landscaping that blends naturally with the native plants that already grow around your home.

You can also incorporate retaining walls, as well as small ponds and fountains in order to create a greater sense of depth on your property.

Eliminate the Need for a Sprinkler System

Without grass to water, there’s no need to invest in expensive irrigation or sprinkler systems. This obviously saves a great deal of money, and will also cut down on the amount of water wasted by these types of automated in-ground systems.

No Need to Worry About Lack of Rain

Without a lawn that’s constantly in need of being watered, a lack of rainfall isn’t an issue. Thus it doesn’t matter how dry or hot the climate happens to be. By utilizing drought-resistant plants and decorative rocks, the amount of rain you receive annually won’t be a major factor in maintaining your lawn.

Provides Curb Appeal for Home Renters

It’s no secret that lush, large, mature landscaping is one of the fastest ways to attract quality tenants. After all, potential tenants are looking for a beautiful home. Drought tolerant landscape design on the outside of your home provides year-round beauty that will give them a reason to also want to see the inside as well.

A Guide to the Benefits of Drought Tolerant Landscaping

There are few things more satisfying than increasing the beauty of your home. Fortunately, drought-tolerant landscaping is one of the best investments you can make for taking the property value of your home to the next level. Please feel free to contact us for more information about our property management services.

Winter Is Around the Corner: Is Your Rental Property Prepared? – Keyrenter Houston

A Winter-Weather Checklist for Rental Property