LandlordZONE – Cold Weather Precautions in Rental Property

Landlords and Tenants need to be aware of problems that can occur during cold weather, frost damage being one of the biggest risks to your property. A burst pipe can wreak havoc on your residential or business premises and its contents. Every winter hundreds of landlords and tenants learn these lessons the hard way, but all this can be avoided by taking a few simple precautions.

Repairs can be expensive and complicated especially in blocks of flats and multi-occupied business premises where busts pipes can involve adjoining properties. The result is water cascading though a building bringing down ceilings and causing thousands of pounds’ worth of damage to the contents.

It’s a good idea therefore to write to your tenants as winter approaches gently reminding them of the importance of taking extra precautions in cold weather. Use the LandlordZONE Cold Weather Letter template here:www.landlordzone.co.uk/agreements.htm

First thing to check is that you have adequate landlord’s insurance cover – read your insurance policy carefully. Not all tenants will take the necessary steps to avoid trouble, however much you remind them, so good landlord’s insurance is a must. Most of the insurance companies on LandlordZONE are tried and tested reputable companies offering this type of cover as standard.

Landlords who don’t have insurance can end up paying out thousands of pounds to repair damage and broken down heating boilers caused by freezing water and leaks from tanks, pipes and heating systems.

Landlords will also have to deal with the inconvenience of being called out by the tenant late at night, at the weekend or over a holiday period, and the difficulty and expense of having to find and call out a reputable emergency contractor at short notice, plus the possibility of having to find alternative accommodation for tenants.

In addition to the standard landlord’s insurance, which should cover emergencies such as these, specialist policies are now available which include round the clock Emergency Assistance as standard. This means landlords are covered for emergencies arising from plumbing and drainage, electricity supply, heating systems, security, lost keys and leaks from the roof, down pipes and guttering.

Preventing Damage:

Frost damage can be avoided by taking a few simple precautions including:

• Maintaining a low level of heat in the property throughout the day and night. This is especially important if the property is to be left empty for several days, perhaps over a Christmas holiday period.
• Make sure your boiler has a frost thermostat which means the heating will come on automatically in the night when the temperature approaches freezing.
• Check water tanks in attics, especially where insulation prevents the room heat rising – you may need to remove some insulation, leave attic doors open or make arrangements to heat these tanks.
• Make sure that tenants are aware of the location of stop taps and that they are easy to shut-off in case of an emergency.
• Repair any dripping taps
• Business premises may be empty over the Christmas holiday period – make sure the building is adequately heated.
• Special attention needs to be given to businesses with automatic sprinkler systems.

Dealing with an Emergency

If the worst happens and you have a burst pipe:

• Turn off the stop tap and open all sink taps to drain off as much water as possible.
• If the heating system is affected, find the system drain and /or bleed values and drain down, releasing the system pressure as quickly as possible.
• Locate any leaks and catch leaking water in containers whilst temporarily lagging the leaking pipe and calling a plumber.

If the property is to be left empty in winter for more than a few days, unless adequate heating can be maintained throughout, it is worth considering draining down the water and heating systems. Remember though, heating systems should contain corrosion inhibitors which need to be re-installed when the system is re-filled.