While just about every landlord understands that occasional apartment building maintenance is necessary to maintain a functioning, desirable rental property, spring is an especially good time to undertake some of those responsibilities since winters can be so punishing for buildings and the systems that allow those buildings to run smoothly.
As winter wraps up and the weather starts to shift toward warmer temperatures, it is a good idea to follow these spring maintenance tips to ensure your tenants remain happy with their living and/or working situation. As is always the case, preventative maintenance is always better than reactionary maintenance. To make sure you’re ahead of any major disaster, consider the following apartment building maintenance items as soon as spring rolls around:
Change HVAC Filters
If your building uses any disposable filters, you should replace them every three months to ensure optimal efficiency. This will keep your HVAC system running smoothly longer while also keeping your energy bills lower. Servicing your HVAC system in the spring is a good idea, too, to make sure tenants never go without air conditioning or heat when they need it.
Change Detector Batteries
While it’s easy to forget to change the batteries in your building, they should be swapped out every six months in both your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Spring and fall are great times to do this. Set a reminder in your calendar so you don’t forget!
Conduct Roof & Gutter Checks
If this isn’t something you want to do yourself, consider hiring professionals to watch for sun or hail damage on your roof, as well as built-up clogs of leaves in your gutters. Not tending to these issues could cause leaks in your roof, which are much more expensive to correct than the problem causing those leaks in the first place.
Take Care of Landscaping
You may also hire professionals to handle your landscaping. If you’ve got plants that need planting or tended to, spring very often is the time to get the ball rolling with that. If your property has a lawn, spring is also the time to begin weed treatment.
Test Exterior and Hallway Lights
Light bulbs also occasionally need changing, so use the springtime to inspect your lights. Especially in outdoor areas or parking structures, proper lighting is a matter of safety.
Flush the Water Heater
Once or twice a year, property owners should flush their water heaters to avoid the buildup of sediment that can shorten the life of the water heater. That sediment can reduce efficiency and clog valves, so if you aren’t sure how to do this on your own, consider hiring a plumber to give the heater a flush once winter is over.
Here at Insurance by Castle, we want nothing more than for our customers to have properties that run smoothly all year long. We help building owners find the right landlord insurance policies for their properties, but keeping track of the aforementioned items can help ensure you’ll never have to use that insurance. The best-run facilities are those that nip problems in the bud before they have a chance to cause any big problems!
