Preventive Maintenance Checklist For Properties: Landlords’ Guide

The Big Picture On a Preventive Maintenance Checklist For Rental Properties: 

• • Include specific maintenance clauses in lease agreements to ensure tenants contribute to property upkeep.
  • Address kitchen and shower drain maintenance to prevent clogs and potential plumbing disasters.
  • Prioritize air conditioning maintenance to avoid emergency repairs and potential health hazards for tenants.

The Importance of Preventative Maintenance

Not everyone is a born handyman (or woman!), and hiring a professional contractor for preventative maintenance and repairs is often easier.

And hey, at least you can sleep at night without fear of causing even more damage than if we’d called somebody who knew what they were doing in the first place!

However, like all bad phone calls, the “There’s a problem at the property” calls tend to arrive outside working hours. If the roof leaks in the middle of the night, chances are you cannot reach a contractor.

As intimidating as they seem, we must prepare for the worst and learn the basics. If you are in the rental or property management business, things get trickier because the state and the look of your assets are your brand as a landlord or property manager.

Apart from that, landlords are legally required to maintain health and safety standards in their properties — A.K.A. implied warranty of habitability. One of the responsibilities is ensuring all major systems function properly.

On the brighter side, regularly performing maintenance tasks fulfills these obligations and helps build relationships with reliable contractors. These connections can come in handy during emergencies.

General Preventive Maintenance Checklist For Rental Properties

In most cases, the preventive maintenance required varies depending on the type and location of the rental property. Still, generally, a typical preventive maintenance checklist should include many of the following. 

Without further ado, let’s discuss the most crucial preventative maintenance jobs to never forget about. They can save you thousands in preventing larger property problems!

Plumbing Part I: The Kitchen Drain

What you can’t see won’t hurt you, right?

Well, not exactly. Fixtures, fittings, and the rest of plumbing terminology are enough to give you a headache and pretend pipes do not exist and water just magically materializes when you turn on the faucet.

The most common problem of the pipes? Cloggage.

This happens for a multitude of reasons, the main one being fats and oils dumped down the drains. If you follow this advice and still accidentally spill fats or oils, quickly turn on the faucet to hot water and pour dishwashing liquid. Combining heat and fat-cutting detergent will help dissolve the fats and oils enough to exit your property’s portion of the pipes.

Since this preventative maintenance rests on the tenants’ behavior, make sure your lease contract includes a clause requiring tenants to occasionally flush the kitchen drain with hot water and detergent!

Plumbing Part II: The Shower Drain

In bathrooms, the shower drain is most likely to get clogged up due to hair.

Hair strainers are the perfect solution to this problem. With them, the renters can remove any hair that fell down while taking a shower.

Which, of course, also means a lease contract clause requiring your renters to keep the hair strainer clean! Consider a lease clause requiring them to empty the hair strainer weekly.

While we’re in the bathroom, the shower head is also prone to issues. Check it at least once a week for cracks and damages to improve its longevity. If it leaks, try thread tape. Simply unscrew the showerhead, wrap the tape clockwise, and re-attach the head. If it is clogged, put it in a bowl of warm water and vinegar for an hour and clean it with a small brush afterward.

Beyond the obvious leaks and clogs, neglecting your property’s plumbing can have some unusual consequences. One tenant found that what he thought was a typical clogging issue was, in fact, caused by snakes.

And not the plumber’s snake apparatus, either. Nearly twenty live snakes slithered out of the ceiling due to a small crack in the pipe! Yikes! The crack was large enough for a small snake to fit in.

Tenants routinely break their lease contracts over less. Keep your property’s plumbing humming at peak performance with simple lease clauses and regular inspections!

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Paint

If your house hasn’t had a new paint job done to it in the last ten years, it’s high time you do it. Besides the risk of health hazards when old lead paint goes without being recoated frequently, newer paints released in the last few years are much more eco-friendly than even those manufactured a decade ago.

Whenever your rental unit has a turnover, see if you can get away with simply retouching the walls. Write down the exact paint color name and number, and ideally, use it for every single one of your rental units. That way, you’ll always know what color to use and have some on hand.

And if you always use the same color, you typically only need one coat!

Painting over nicotine-stained walls is trickier. Before starting, you may need to apply a stain blocker. Do NOT apply the stain blocker over nicotine stains just to save money; the dye will not spread uniformly, causing ugly bubbles that will ruin the wall’s surface.

While we’re talking paint, if you plan to rent a property to college students, consider using shades of beige. Stains, splashes, and scuffs will not be as obvious with the darker color walls!

Air Conditioner

The air conditioner is probably the most neglected equipment in most rental properties.

Many people just turn it on and look inside only when there’s a problem, or they have to replace it. Regular check-ups should be done because an unmaintained air conditioner can have serious effects on health. The last thing you want is for your renters to fall ill from the bacteria stored inside.

When’s the best time to service your air conditioning condensers? April and May.

The worst time? A 105-degree day in July.

Send out an HVAC repairman to service your AC condenser to avoid expensive emergency repairs down the road!

Here are a few easy steps you can follow:

• • Shut off the power – obviously, it’s not wise to work on an electrical device while it’s humming along. The switch will be located either on the exterior condenser/compressor or an exterior shut-off box airflow air-flow reduction near the unit.
  • Remove any debris – remove the fan using a wrench or a screwdriver, then the fasteners, then the cage. Clean the leaves or any other debris with a wet or dry vacuum.
  • Clean the fins – make sure they are squeaky clean and also straighten them to prevent any reduction in airflow.
  • Clean the area around the unit.
  • Level the unit.

Another good rule of thumb is requiring the renters to change the air filters every three months. Again, a clause should be included in your lease contract!

Neglect can lead to terrible accidents. When the discharge valve popped, an HVAC contractor from New York ended up with a frostbite on his hand.

Seasonal Maintenance For Your Rental Property

Colder and warmer seasons bring unique challenges, which also means different preventive maintenance for your properties.

Although it’s not entirely avoidable, there’s something landlords and property managers can proactively do to reduce unexpected issues during different seasons. 

Property Maintenance for Warmer Seasons

• • Pipe Examination – Inspect all pipes for damage from winter weather. Check for cracks or leaks and adequately seal the connections.
  • Air Filter Replacement – Change HVAC air filters to improve air quality and system efficiency. Dirty filters can strain the system and also reduce its lifespan.
  • Basement Ventilation Check – Be sure that the basement is properly ventilated to prevent mold growth. Consider a dehumidifier if the area is damp.
  • Window and Door Seal Inspection – Check weather stripping and caulking around windows and doors. Replace as needed to prevent air leaks and improve energy usage.
  • Emergency Alarm Testing – Test all smoke detectors. Use the “test” button on each unit, including those in common areas of multi-family properties. Replace batteries if needed.
  • Ceiling Fan Maintenance –Clean ceiling fan blades and check that fans are securely mounted. Always make sure they’re set to rotate counterclockwise for optimal cooling in the summer months.
  • Attic Inspection – Examine the attic for beams for any damage, roof leaks, mold, and potential pest entry points or snakes.
  • Thermostat Maintenance – Check the thermostat for accurate readings as part of HVAC maintenance for better energy efficiency.

Property Maintenance for Colder Seasons

• • Pipe Protection – Insulate pipes and educate tenants on freeze-prevention procedures to avoid costly plumbing disasters.
  • Fan Direction Adjustment – Reverse ceiling fan rotation clockwise for improved heat distribution, potentially reducing heating expenses.
  • Heating System Check – Schedule professional HVAC inspections before winter for better performance and to prevent unexpected failures.
  • Moisture Control – Inspect prone areas for water ingress and fix issues promptly to prevent mold growth.
  • Pest Prevention – Seal exterior entry points and advise tenants on proper waste management to deter pest infestations during cold seasons.
  • Gutter Maintenance – Clear gutters and downspouts of debris to prevent ice dams and water damage to the property’s foundation.
  • Weatherstripping Renewal – Replace worn weatherstripping around doors and windows to improve insulation and reduce energy costs.
  • Chimney Inspection – Conduct annual chimney inspections and cleanings for properties with fireplaces to prevent fire hazards.

Preventive Maintenance Saves Time and Money

As a landlord, your business depends on the state of your assets. The good news is that a little preventative maintenance can save you thousands of dollars later on your plumbing, painting, and HVAC!

Do you have any preventative maintenance tips? Or horror stories? Share them below!

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