Seasonal maintenance checklist for rental properties (the version that prevents 3am texts)

Fall (September–October): the one that matters most

• Furnace or boiler serviced by an HVAC tech before the first cold night. This single item prevents more emergency calls than everything else combined.
• Filters replaced; text tenants a photo of where the filter is and ask them to replace it quarterly (send the filters).
• Water heater: drain a few gallons to flush sediment; check the T&P valve; note the age on the tank.
• Gutters and downspouts cleared; downspouts discharging away from the foundation.
• Exterior hose bibs shut off and drained; sprinklers blown out where it freezes.
• Smoke and CO detector batteries — text tenants a reminder and record the date. Replace units older than ten years.
• Weatherstripping and caulk at doors and windows; a drafty unit is a no-heat complaint waiting to happen.
• Text every tenant the main water shut-off location with a photo. This is the most useful preventive task on the list and costs nothing.

Winter (December–February)

• After the first hard freeze, text tenants: "Heat working OK? Any cold rooms?" You want the small complaint now, not the frozen pipe later.
• Pipes on exterior walls: keep heat at a minimum setting in vacant units; tell tenants to leave cabinet doors open under sinks on exterior walls in extreme cold.
• Ice dams: if you see icicles at the eaves, that is heat escaping into the attic — an insulation and ventilation job for spring, and a leak risk now.
• Snow and ice: know who clears walkways and when; it is a liability item more than a maintenance one.
• Dryer vents cleared — lint fires peak in winter.

Spring (March–May)

• Roof and flashing inspected after winter; look for lifted shingles, and at the ceilings inside for new stains.
• Gutters cleared again; check for sagging or separated sections.
• AC serviced before the first heat wave, for the same reason as the furnace in fall.
• Sump pump tested (pour a bucket of water in), and the battery backup checked if there is one.
• Grading and drainage: water should run away from the foundation. Basement moisture complaints start here.
• Exterior caulk, paint, and wood rot at trim, sills, and decks.
• Pest check: ants and rodents move in spring; seal gaps at the foundation and around pipe penetrations.

Summer (June–August)

• Text tenants: "AC keeping up? Any drips from the indoor unit?" A clogged condensate line is a ceiling leak in a month.
• Refrigerator coils vacuumed (tenants can do it; send a 20-second video).
• Garbage disposal and drains: a good time for a plumber to snake slow drains before fall, when the calls stack up.
• Exterior: trim trees back from the roof and lines; check fences, railings, and stair treads — the injury items.
• Turnover season: if a unit turns, do the fall list early while it is empty.

Any time

• Keep a per-unit record of the age of the furnace, water heater, roof, and major appliances. Replace on a schedule, not after a failure at the worst time.
• Twice a year, text every tenant one open question: "Anything in the unit that's not quite right, even small?" You will hear about the running toilet before the water bill does.

Questions