Five Jobs Every Landlord Should Book Now

At this time of year, most rental properties are fairly quiet.

The heating is off. The weather is doing its best. Tenants are not ringing to say the boiler has stopped working or water is coming through the ceiling.

That makes it very easy to put maintenance off.

The problem is that once autumn arrives, everyone suddenly wants the same people. Heating engineers are booked up, roofers are dealing with leaks, and even straightforward jobs can take longer than expected.

So, while things are calm, these are the five jobs I would be looking at now.

Get the boiler serviced

This is probably the obvious one, but it is also one of the most important.

A boiler that seems fine in July can become a very different story on the first cold morning in October. By then, engineers are usually busy and your tenant is understandably keen to get the heating back on.

A service now gives you time to pick up any small faults before they become urgent. It is also one less thing to worry about when winter arrives.

Check the roof and gutters

We see this a lot across Lancaster and Morecambe.

A blocked gutter or cracked tile may not cause any obvious trouble during a dry spell. Then the rain comes, water gets in, and what could have been a small repair turns into damp plaster, damaged decoration and a very unhappy tenant.

Now is the time to clear gutters, check for slipped tiles and deal with anything that looks tired or loose.

It is not the most exciting job on the list, but it can save a lot of money.

Sort the outside of the property

Have a proper look at the fencing, pointing, render and exterior woodwork.

Is the fence starting to lean? Is the paint peeling around the windows? Are there cracks that need checking before winter weather gets into them?

Dry weather gives contractors a much better chance of doing these jobs properly. It also means you are not trying to arrange everything at the same time as every other landlord in the area.

Small jobs have a habit of becoming bigger jobs when they are ignored.

Test the alarms

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are easy to forget because, hopefully, they are never needed.

That does not mean they should be left unchecked.

Make sure the right alarms are fitted, test that they work and replace batteries where needed. Keep a simple record of what has been checked and when.

It only takes a few minutes, but it matters.

Book a routine inspection

Even good tenants do not always report every little problem.

A dripping tap, a stiff window or a patch of condensation may not feel important enough to mention. Left for long enough, though, those little issues can start causing damage.

A routine inspection gives you a chance to spot problems early, check the general condition of the property and have a proper conversation with the tenant.

It should not feel like an interrogation. Done well, it is simply good property management.

One last conversation worth having

It is also worth speaking to your letting agent.

The local market changes. Tenant expectations change. Legislation changes. What worked well a few years ago may not be the best approach now.

A good agent should be able to tell you what tenants are asking for, how your property compares with others in Lancaster and Morecambe, and whether a small improvement now could make life easier later.

At JDG, we would always rather help a landlord plan ahead than deal with an avoidable emergency in the middle of winter.

Being proactive may not be glamorous, but it usually costs less and causes far less stress.

Letting Agency Done Ethically

We are proud members of the Ethical Agent Network, a national group of independent agents assessed against high standards of honesty, service, professionalism and community care.

JDG is currently the only local agency in the network.

If you would like to talk through your property, maintenance plans or the local lettings market, please get in touch.

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