Landlords guide to Christmas
The Christmas period can have its challenges for landlords, with tenants spending lots of time away from home. This is why we’ve put together a ‘Landlords guide to Christmas’ to help landlords navigate through the festive season safely.
Service boilers and heating
Winter can see a rise in maintenance issues that are better caught before they turn into expensive longer-term, expensive problems. Fortunately, being proactive and scheduling timely checks on your property can go a long way to reducing any potential problems. One of the most common winter problems is frozen pipes. One way to avoid this is to insulate pipes and water tanks in cold areas with pipe sponge covers. Also, try to insulate any water tanks especially in colder places like the loft. So, by taking just a few precautionary measures, you could save a lot of unnecessary time and money.
Christmas Lights
Who doesn’t love Christmas lights? They might be pretty to look at, but they can also pose a dangerous threat. Most LED fairy lights are safe, but it’s still worth asking your tenants to turn their Christmas lights off at night. Also, check that tenants aren’t overloading extension leads. This could cause the plug in the wall socket to overheat and possibly cause a fire. Another common fire risk is hanging stockings over fires, it might be a long-held tradition, but it can cause a fire risk. Make sure you specify that any candles or naked flames are never left unattended and are not placed near soft furnishings or curtains. You should also check your smoke alarms, and other fire safety equipment in the run-up to Christmas – or ask your tenants to do so.
One great way to prevent any issues is to send tenants a Christmas card with a ‘Christmas safety checklist inside’. Not only is it thoughtful but it’s beneficial as a landlord too!
If you’re looking for support as a landlord then contact one of our team today.