There’s an old saying: if you want something done right, you need to do it yourself. This goes for so many projects, from something as simple as organizing that junk drawer to major problems in maintenance and management. You may have the best tenants in the world! Does that mean you really trust them to take on important home repairs? Maybe some of these tasks aren’t typically on your chore list, but yeah. If you want them done right, maybe they should be.
Dryer Vent
There’s an old saying: if you want something done right, you need to do it yourself. This goes for so many projects, from something as simple as organizing that junk drawer to major problems in maintenance and management. You may have the best tenants in the world! Does that mean you really trust them to take on important home repairs? Maybe some of these tasks aren’t typically on your chore list, but yeah. If you want them done right, maybe they should be.
Dryer Vent
Dryer vents are an infamous fire hazard. All they do is collect dust in a tiny and compressed tube and add heat waiting to blow up and destroy everything. Your tenant may have said they cleaned the tube, and yes, they always clean the lint tray. They may have hired someone or maybe they saw one of the many YouTube DIY tutorials and gave that a go. You should still check and make sure yourself. It’s not their property that’s at risk. Whether you hire someone yourself who can send you verified, professional proof that the task was done or you see it with your own two eyes, knowing that the fire trap was well and truly cleaned will help you sleep at night.
Dryer vents are an infamous fire hazard. All they do is collect dust in a tiny and compressed tube and add heat waiting to blow up and destroy everything. Your tenant may have said they cleaned the tube, and yes, they always clean the lint tray. They may have hired someone or maybe they saw one of the many YouTube DIY tutorials and gave that a go. You should still check and make sure yourself. It’s not their property that’s at risk. Whether you hire someone yourself who can send you verified, professional proof that the task was done or you see it with your own two eyes, knowing that the fire trap was well and truly cleaned will help you sleep at night.
Refrigerator Coils
Not everyone remembers that the exterior of the refrigerator needs to be cleaned too, and not just the side that looks pretty. Cleaning the fridge coils is a bit of a daunting task that requires pulling it out and away from the walls and unplugging it while you worry about hurting your back or scuffing the floors, so it’s not the most fun task in the world. With all that, there’s no guarantee your tenant will bother to do it at all, despite the fact that it improves how well the device functions and how long it will last.
Water Heater
Refrigerator Coils
Not everyone remembers that the exterior of the refrigerator needs to be cleaned too, and not just the side that looks pretty. Cleaning the fridge coils is a bit of a daunting task that requires pulling it out and away from the walls and unplugging it while you worry about hurting your back or scuffing the floors, so it’s not the most fun task in the world. With all that, there’s no guarantee your tenant will bother to do it at all, despite the fact that it improves how well the device functions and how long it will last.
Water Heater
Draining a water heater is boring as it sounds. It’s easy enough, right? Get a bucket, pour a bit in, make sure the sediment isn’t causing rusting. Then you’re good to go. The bigger problem is that a lot of people just forget to do it. Maybe you can call and ask if they had, but there’s no telling if they just forgot this year and are remembering last year, or if they’re just lying through their teeth to keep that good relationship going. If you don’t want to buy a whole new water heater, it’s best to put this one on yourself and just make sure.
Draining a water heater is boring as it sounds. It’s easy enough, right? Get a bucket, pour a bit in, make sure the sediment isn’t causing rusting. Then you’re good to go. The bigger problem is that a lot of people just forget to do it. Maybe you can call and ask if they had, but there’s no telling if they just forgot this year and are remembering last year, or if they’re just lying through their teeth to keep that good relationship going. If you don’t want to buy a whole new water heater, it’s best to put this one on yourself and just make sure.
Roof
Your tenants can keep track of their own gutters, sure, but the roof is another expensive issue of its own. With winter weather and extreme temperature shifts, a bit of damage here and there is to be expected. Get your own contractor or if you have the professional skills, check yourself to make sure everything is okay and minimize the damage before you need to shell out the big bucks.
Some of these tasks may seem simple enough that your tenant could be able to do it, but that doesn’t mean that they should. They’re not the ones who will be loose a property if things turn the wrong way. Sometimes it really is best to see for yourself that it’s done the right way.
Roof
Your tenants can keep track of their own gutters, sure, but the roof is another expensive issue of its own. With winter weather and extreme temperature shifts, a bit of damage here and there is to be expected. Get your own contractor or if you have the professional skills, check yourself to make sure everything is okay and minimize the damage before you need to shell out the big bucks.
Some of these tasks may seem simple enough that your tenant could be able to do it, but that doesn’t mean that they should. They’re not the ones who will be loose a property if things turn the wrong way. Sometimes it really is best to see for yourself that it’s done the right way.
