Do you know the essential spring maintenance checks? - Internal
Master the essential internal maintenance checks to keep your property in top shape for the season ahead
So, what are the key maintenance checks that you need to carry out in spring? Tom Entwistle, a residential and commercial landlord since the 1970s and founder of LandlordZONE, the longest serving website for landlords in the UK, draws on his own experience to explain the external and internal spring maintenance checks you need to carry out.
Carrying out internal spring maintenance involves a thorough internal inspection of the property from top to bottom, usually when the house is occupied by a tenant.
You should plan on doing an inspection in any case at least a couple of times a year.
It’s important you do these regular inspections in-line with your tenancy agreement and as stated in most landlord insurance policies.
If you are insured with Total Landlord, inspections need to take place within a month of the tenant moving in and at least every six months thereafter to make sure the property is in good working order.
Give your tenant plenty of notice for when the inspection is to be conducted.
While legally landlords only need to give a minimum of 24 hours’ notice, giving a little more will help tenants to feel more comfortable and contribute to a positive landlord-tenant relationship.
Reassuringly, 60.5% of landlords responding to our recent quiz said they give a week’s notice before a property inspection and 25% give 48 hours.
Only 13% give the minimum 24 hours’ notice. It’s also a good idea to invite your tenants to be present when the inspection takes place.
Try to work with them to pick a convenient time, for example outside of working hours if they work regular hours.
Apart from maintenance and safety checks, an inspection will tell you whether the tenants are respecting your property, keeping things reasonably clean and looking after furnishings, fittings and appliances - remember, fair wear and tear is acceptable.
Our ultimate guide to inspecting your property contains comprehensive guidance on property inspections for landlords.
The likelihood is that you will have various types of covering in your rental property, all of which should be in good condition with no excess wear that could cause trips.
For example, fraying carpets, especially on stairs, could cause someone to fall, resulting in a potential legal claim against you.
Make sure floorboards beneath the property are free from signs of damp and decay.
Dry rot and wet rot are caused by having restricted air flow in the crawl space below and water ingress respectively. A problem like this needs to be caught early to prevent it becoming a major issue.
Get to the root of it and treat the affected areas as soon as possible with specialist chemicals once the cause has been addressed, to avoid further deterioration.
Since damage to flooring is a common reason for claiming against the deposit at the end of the tenancy it’s worth thinking about the best flooring for a rental property before you rent it out.
Our tenancy deposit protection partner, mydeposits, also powered by Total Property, has written a guide to choosing the best durable flooring for a rental property to help you decide.
A water leak can cause serious and costly damage inside a property. Make sure the stop tap is accessible and working and that your tenants are aware of its location.
Check for leaks on any of the pipe runs under or behind appliances, and connections for washing machines, showers, baths and sink taps. Make sure none of the taps are leaking.
Since Awaab Ishak’s death and Awaab’s Law, damp and mould have rightly become a big issue in rental properties, and government guidance issued in September 2023 makes it clear that landlords are responsible for this problem, no matter the cause.
If you find signs of damp and mould or condensation in your property, for example damp walls or black mould on walls and ceilings, you need to establish the source of the problem.
Condensation is caused by lack of heating in the property and lack of ventilation at the source of moist air production (steam), namely kitchens and bathrooms.
But by providing extractor fans and educating your tenants as to the cause and cure, this problem should be containable.
Damp and condensation can also be the result of a property that lacks adequate insulation or has a poor or defective heating system.
Also, water ingress through walls and the roof (penetration damp) or rising damp at the lower parts of walls.
You need to get to the bottom of these problems as soon as they are drawn to your attention.
They present a health hazard for which you, as landlord, can find yourself liable.
Damp and mould are contentious issues and there is often debate between landlords and tenants about who is responsible for excessive damp and mould in a property.
If the damp and mould is a result of issues with the property itself - such as poor ventilation or a lack of insulation - it is more likely to be an issue for the landlord to resolve.
If the tenant is not ventilating or heating the property properly, the damp and mould could be caused by the tenant, or perhaps more likely, a combination of the two.
The tenant may need to be educated as to what they can do to prevent these problems.
Either way, the landlord is responsible, and early identification and treatment of the issue is very important.
Our detailed guide to damp and mould explains all you need to know, and includes a downloadable checklist for you to share with your tenants.
Gas boilers, fires, cookers and flues, as well as gas pipes, must be inspected annually by a Gas Safe registered heating engineer.
It’s also a good idea to have your boilers, gas, oil or LPG serviced annually, and if you are using heat pumps, they also need to be checked.
Make sure during your inspection that the boiler is functioning correctly and that there are no obvious problems.
Gas fires, open fires and log burners also need attention to make sure they are safe, particularly the chimney flue.
Check there are no obvious issues with these devices and arrange to have chimneys swept on a regular basis.
Consider having your boilers, fires, cookers, water heaters etc. served every 12 months at the same time as having gas checks done.
You need to check that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working properly and replace them if necessary.
Most good quality ones have 10-year life batteries these days, unless they are mains interconnected, in which case the battery is merely a back-up.
Find out more about your legal obligations in our guide to smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations.
Do a visual check of all the electrics, from power sockets and light fittings to the main fuse board and circuit breaker.
Check power leads to appliances for signs of wear and make sure nothing is being overloaded.
Remember, you need to have the electrical system inspected by a qualified electrician every five years.
Spring is also a good opportunity to check over your supplied white goods and any other appliances.
Check they are working correctly and that they are safe, otherwise remove and replace them.
Don’t forget to check the vents of washing machines and tumble dryers, filters and seals as they can often become clogged up by fabric particles and dust over an extended period of time, or leak.
Especially after heavy use in the winter.
Also, don’t forget to check the electric coils behind the fridge for dust build-up which could result in its failure.
Check for signs of vermin infestations by inspecting for droppings behind units and in cupboards.
You may need to work in conjunction with your tenants to deal with this issue, or if the problem is serious you may need to bring in pest control specialists.
Take a look all around the property, inside and out, for any items that could cause a safety hazard such as loose or missing stair rails or wonky outdoor paving slabs.
Always try to head-off any safety issues before they escalate into an accident.
Looking after your rental property through regular maintenance is not only your legal responsibility, it’s also in your own best interests if you want to be a good and successful landlord.
A well-maintained property should hold its value well and your tenants will thank you for being diligent, which will hopefully inspire them to be more respectful and careful with your property in return.
Doing maintenance in spring, when the weather is kinder, is an obvious time to schedule in those tasks that, if tackled earlier, will save time and money later.
Encourage your tenants to report any maintenance or repair issues as soon as they become apparent, making sure they understand that there will be absolutely no penalty for doing so.
Be sure to include any specific maintenance and repair responsibilities in the tenancy agreement and include a long-term maintenance schedule as part of your business plan, to help you keep on top of maintenance.
Our article, ‘Nine steps to becoming a good and successful landlord’ contains lots more useful advice on how you can run a profitable lettings business, taking care to look after your tenants while keeping the property in the best possible condition and well above minimum required standards.
