Spring cleaning isn’t always the most enjoyable, however, as rental property owners, it’s nice to embark in to make sure your properties are well run and won’t be needing much daily oversight. For many of us, the warmer weather usually sparks great motivation to tackle the tasks that may have been pushed aside during the cold winter months. With the warmer weather on its’ way, it’s time to begin to be proactive and start accomplishing your spring maintenance responsibilities. Here’s a list of maintenance tasks to knock off your to-do list this spring!
Replace Smoke and Carbon Dioxide Detector Batteries
The recommended time to change your device batteries is in the spring and fall at Daylight Savings Time. The reason is obvious: change the batteries to ensure your tenants are safe. No one wants a lawsuit due to non-functioning detectors.
Clean Out The Dryer Vent Path
It’s important to make sure the unit’s dryer vent has a cleared path to the outside. You can clean it by first checking the lint holder inside of the dryer to make sure it is free of any lint. If there is a large amount of lint build-up inside, this may indicate that the lint holder is not getting regularly cleaned. This should be getting cleaned each time the dryer is used. Next, remove the hose that attaches to the back of your dryer and check for any build-up. If you see any, use a vacuum to remove it and check to make sure there are no holes in the vent system. Making sure your dryer is clear from any build-up can help reduce the chance of it overheating and possibly catching fire.
Clean All Sinks
To ensure the cleanliness of your property, make sure to deep clean all sinks and drains. It is also a good idea to check drains to see if any clogging is occurring. By cleaning drains in the spring, you can help eliminate calls about clogged pipes. An inexpensive cleaning method to clean your drains is to use half a cup of baking soda and let it sit for five minutes. Then add one cup of vinegar and a pot of very hot water. Let this sit covered for five minutes and then run hot water through it for 30 seconds.
Vacuum Low-Traffic Areas
Ideally, tenants should be vacuuming low-traffic areas often. If they aren’t or it isn’t getting done often enough, now is the perfect time to do so. Low-traffic areas would include underneath furniture, the floors of closets, and other hard to reach spots. Move out the furniture and items from closets to ensure that every area in your house is free from accumulating dust and allergens.
Dust EVERYWHERE
Dust has likely to have built up during the winter months in certain areas so now is the time to get rid of it. Start from the top, down, beginning with ceiling fan blades. Then move down toward the tops of baseboards. Make sure to also get those hard to reach spots that may have been missed throughout your daily cleaning in the winter months.
Carpet Cleaning
Cleaning the rental property carpet should be a task done after each tenant move-out. However, if it hasn’t been done recently, spring cleaning is the perfect time to clean them! This will help maintain the cleanliness of the property and keep it just as clean as it was day one. You can borrow or purchase a carpet cleaner or simply do the task yourself. Either way you choose to clean it will ensure that your property stays fresh and eliminate household allergens.
Wash Window, Screens, and Sills
Now that the weather is warming up, it’s important to wash your windows inside and out. This will help with property appeal and keep everything looking nice. Most of the time, however, the sills and screens get left out. So make sure you don’t leave these items out when you begin to wash your windows. Window blinds also tend to get left out and build up with dust. Make sure to wash these with a dust rag during this process as it probably hasn’t been done enough.
Clean Gutters and Remove Leaves
Depending on the size of the property, this task may be manageable by yourself, or it could be something you want to hire out. Either way, it is important to make sure that the gutters are clear and drain excess water properly. Just be sure the gutters are cleared of any materials such as leaves, small sticks or branches, and organic material that may have accumulated during fall and winter storms. Excess leaves from fall can easily be removed by mowing them up or by using a mulcher mower which will then fertilize the grass but also improve the appearance of the yard.
Educate Your Tenants
Now that all you’ve accomplished your spring cleaning, make sure to inform your tenants on how you wish the property to be treated to ensure it stays in clean, working order. Educate them on what you expect them to do while living in the property and schedule a time for a maintenance inspection to make sure they are keeping up with your expectations. This will better help the overall flow and order of your property. If you have any questions or suggestions, contact Keyrenter Provo today!