As a landlord, managing a property during extended vacancies can be challenging, whether due to a tenant’s long-term travel or unexpected gaps between tenants. During these times, it’s crucial to conduct thorough property management checks to ensure the property remains in good condition and is ready for future tenants. This article highlights essential tasks such as securing the property, maintaining utilities, and checking for any maintenance issues.
The necessary actions depend on whether the property is occupied. If it is, review the tenancy agreement to understand your rights for property inspections. For unoccupied properties, consider additional measures like winterizing pipes, ensuring security systems are functional, and regularly inspecting the property to prevent any issues from escalating. By staying proactive, you can protect your investment and ensure a smooth transition for new tenants.
You may find that working with a company offering property management services can help to alleviate some of the stress that comes with being a landlord. Alternatively, create your own checklist and be sure to ask tenants to let you know when they will be away from the property, so that you can make the necessary checks (with their permission).
Check your landlord insurance
Did you know that your landlord insurance policy likely has a clause in it which details exactly how long your insurance remains in place for an empty property? In most cases this extends up to 30 days which will cover the average holiday, however it is worth checking your insurance to see how any claims will work on an uninhabited property. If necessary, or if you know your tenants will be away for longer than the time outlined in your policy, you may find you need to extend it accordingly.
Maintenance work and upgrades
If your tenant is away on holiday for a while, it can create the perfect time to go in and complete any pending maintenance work and upgrades – preventing such work from interfering with their day to day lives and leaving workers free to conduct work within their ideal timeframe rather than that of the tenant. Have a chat with your tenant before they go away to let them know of your plans. This may also remind them to mention any additional areas of work which might need to be completed that you may not already be aware of.
Emergency inspections
If there has been a known leak within the property or a bout of seriously bad weather which may have damaged the property while your tenant is away, it makes sense to go ahead and inspect the property to ensure it has not been damaged or to figure out if it needs any emergency work to be undertaken.
As you can see, there are a multitude of reasons why visiting your property when it has been left empty for a while can be a good idea.
If you live far away from your investment property or lack the time to conduct such checks of your own, this is where the services of a property management company become extremely handy.
Ensuring the property is well maintained and secure gives peace of mind to not only the landlord, but the tenant as well.
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