Winter weather advice for Landlords

As the winter months draw in, severe weather could catch unsuspecting landlords and their tenants unaware.
Heavy rain, snow, sub-zero temperatures and strong winds will eventually cause damage to the roof of any property, but in the private rental sector, the onus definitely on the landlord and not the tenant.
There are a few routine maintenance suggestions that can help landlords avoid getting the winter blues, reduce the potential of paying expensive repair bills and avoid making claims on their insurance policies.
Landlords should ensure that a trusted gas safe registered engineer has visited all of their rental properties to service boilers and all gas appliances before the cold weather really hits.
If properties are currently empty, it will prove wise to leave the heating on a low setting to prevent water pipes from being frozen. Keeping the heating on low when the property is empty may seem like a waste of money, but it can help to avoid costly damage caused by frozen pipes.
If there are any issues, such as missing or broken tiles, get your builder or roofing contractor to conduct repairs immediately.
It is essential to ensure that the guttering is clean and free draining throughout the winter to prevent the ingress of water.
Water pipes need to be lagged sufficiently to prevent them from freezing up and bursting over the winter.
Tenants can often confuse damp with condensation caused by their own lifestyles, yet it is landlords who are expected to deal with the issue, prevention is better than a cure.
Draught proofing is a really simple job, using foam or rubber sealant strips around doors and windows, draught excluders at the base of external doors and draught excluding brushes can be fitted to the inside of letterboxes will also help keep the heat in.
Taking action on these issues may not be enough to prevent damage to the property, so landlords need to ensure that they have the correct type of insurance in place that will cover the cost of rental property damage.