It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and all around the country families are putting up their decorations and getting ready to have friends over for the holidays. For people who own their own properties, Christmas is a time to really go all out and enjoy themselves. But for people renting, a little more care needs to be taken to avoid the hazards of Christmas. If you’re a landlord and you’re worried about your properties over Christmas, here are a few things you can do to keep your property and your tenants happy this festive season.
Update Contact Information
It’s always useful to have up to date contact details for your tenants to make sure you can contact them in an emergency or ahead of any inspections. This is the time of year when many people get new phones and new numbers, which is the perfect reason to reach out and check. And if you aren’t going to be reachable during the holidays, it’s a good idea to let your tenants know who will be their first port of call if there are any problems – particularly if you’re using an agent and they are closed over Christmas.
Do a Safety Inspection
There’s nothing worse than a faulty wire causing a power cut, or boiler cutting out. But with all of the extra energy needed to heat the property in the cold months and the extra cooking Christmas always brings, this can be the time of year when faults occur. So it can be useful to do a safety inspection in the run up to Christmas so that everyone has peace of mind. Things like checking the boiler, HVAC system, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and lighting installations to make sure there is no damage, and everything is running correctly.
Send Them a Card
Let’s be honest, everyone enjoys getting post, especially at Christmas! And as a landlord it’s your job to make sure your tenants are happy while they stay in your home. A good way you can do this is to engage with them around the holidays and do something nice. What that looks like is up to you – most landlords opt for sending a Christmas card, but some will give small gifts like a gift card or bunch of flowers. Go with what feels right to you and your relationship with your tenants, but a little gesture can go a long way.
Wet Weather Problems
As the temperatures start to get lower during winter, the cold and frost can start to take their toll. Plumbing pipes might freeze, drainage lines could clog and flood, or cracks might even appear in masonry. While none of this is your tenant’s fault or responsibility, it’s worth asking them to keep an eye out for problems and report anything if they see it, so that you can get it fixed quickly before it turns into a bigger problem. It’s also worth doing a check of these systems before the weather gets really nasty if you want to avoid your tenants calling you on Boxing Day to say a pipe has burst.
Be Security Conscious
Christmas is a time when a lot of people travel. Whether that’s home to see their families, for a festive getaway, or just on holiday, a lot of people leave their homes empty for longer periods of time. We know the safety and security of your property is important to you, so it may be worth sending a polite reminder to your tenants to ensure the property is properly secured while they are away to avoid any thefts. If you know they’re not going to be there, you can also ask the neighbours just to keep an eye on the house while they’re away.
And that’s it from us for another year! We want to thank all of you for your support over the last 12 months, and we can’t wait to see what 2022 will hold. And if you need any help in the new year, get in touch with the team and we’ll see what we can do!
