At this time of year, it’s worth checking in with your tenants and reminding them (gently) of their responsibilities during the festive season and winter months. A quick phone call or a festive email would suffice but likewise a box of sweets or a Christmas plant allows you to have a quick chat on the doorstep.
Check with your tenants if they intend to be away over the festive period. Not all tenants will stay at home for the holidays. They may be students or young professionals returning to the family home or young families travelling for a few days to be with friends or relatives. Consequently, your rental home could be left empty at a time of year when the cold weather bites and the chances of damp, frozen pipes and blocked gutters is much higher.
Although energy costs are at an all-time high, remind them to leave the heating on during their absence to warm the house and prevent pipes from freezing.
Remind them where the stopcock is and check they understand how and when to use it.
To maintain the security of the property, ask them to ensure all doors and windows are locked prior to leaving and, if possible, leave a light and/or a radio on a timer to deter unwanted visitors.
Ask them to be ultra-careful with candles in the property. If there’s a clause in the tenancy agreement preventing their use, remind them of this and suggest battery candles could be safely used.
Check they have your mobile number and consider leaving them a list of emergency contacts, should they need to use them.
If your tenant intends to be away for a longer period of time remember to inform your insurance. They may want regular checks made on the property or they may have requirements about heating or turning off the water. Communicate these requirements to your tenant prior to them leaving, by email gives you evidence should they not fulfil the requirements and therefore invalidate your insurance. should the worst happen and you need to claim from your insurance, ensure you have plenty of photos and in the case of burst pipes, a photo of the heating thermostat is useful.
Ensure you hold a spare key for the property but bear in mind that, unless it’s a genuine emergency, you should never enter the property without the tenants knowledge and prior permission. Do not use this empty period to take a quick look around or do a sneaky property inspection. This is both against the law and unfair to your tenants and will only sour any good relationship you may have with them.
Finally, as a self-managing landlord, good and open communication with your tenant is essential and the points above should be a matter of course for both of you. However, if you have not previously kept in touch, the festive season provides the ideal time to have a quick, informal chat and pass on seasons greetings and tenant advice at the same time. A good relationship with your tenant should not be under-estimated and to be a wise man, whether or not bearing gifts, is a role to aspire to all year, but especially at Christmas.