A landlord’s guide to weather-proofing your property

Landlords have a lot to worry about these days. From managing their investment property’s tenants to ensuring there are no infestations, there may be times when you forget about one of the most important parts of being a landlord: making sure your property is weather-proofed. Here is a short landlord guide to weather-proofing your residential property. 

Carry out regular roof check-ups

Keeping your buildings in good repair all-year-round should be a priority. Roofs are particularly vital.  This includes checking against weather damage which can be caused by ice, water or poor maintenance.

To keep your building in good condition for the long term, you will need to carry out regular roof check-ups, which can ensure any potential issues with the roof are dealt with before they become a big problem.

Make your property flood-resistant

Flooding is perhaps the worst thing that can happen to a home, with the resulting contamination and damage potentially costing you tens of thousands of pounds. That’s why if a flood has ever hit your property in the past (or if you live in an area where flooding or extreme storms are common), it’s essential to protect your property from possible storm damage sooner rather than later to try and prevent it from happening again. 

Prevent pipe problems

It’s a fact of life that rotten old pipes will eventually cause major problems. Thankfully, you—as the savvy landlord that you are—can easily take preventative measures against burst pipes and other hard-to-fix pipe problems. These could be anything from damaged pipes to clogged pipes or even frozen pipes in the winter.

Give your gutters a clear-out

Your gutters have a nasty habit of blocking up leaves and other detritus, especially if you have trees close to your house. It’s time to give your gutters a clear-out. It might not seem the most fun tasks in the world, but it can help keep you and your property safe and dry through the winter months.

Seal any draughty areas

Sealing draughty areas is a really easy way to reduce heat loss from your property. Heat loss through your roof and windows can account for up to a quarter of your heating bill, so by improving these areas, you can reduce your energy bills and also improve comfort in your home.

Check the boiler’s pressure

If you have a boiler, you might want to make sure that it’s giving enough pressure. If your house is cold and you can’t figure out why it could be down to the boiler. If it drops below the recommended pressure, the system will not work efficiently. It is best to check the boiler’s pressure every two weeks by releasing excess pressure. 

For landlords, staying in touch with tenants usually means a monthly or quarterly phone call asking whether the boiler’s broken down again and there’s no hot water. 

Don’t forget to check your insurance

Don’t let rain or gales put a spanner in the works over autumn and winter. Your property could be at risk of flooding. Consider taking out landlord’s insurance to help protect your property against natural disasters (and their possible impact on the rent for the property).

Final thoughts

Your tenants will be delighted if you recognise the need to add weather-proofing measures to your properties to protect them from potentially expensive damage during winter storms and other extreme weather.