Important Tenant Winter Preparation

As a tenant, it can sometimes be confusing to know what your responsibilities are within property care.  While the lease does a fairly good job of informing this, it can be valuable to be reminded of annual maintenance items that are necessary to perform to protect both the property and yourself.  When winter hits, Alberta has it's own set of requirements for both home owner and tenant to ensure the property is both protected and operating properly.  Below is a checklist of items you should ensure are completed at the beginning of each cold season.

WINTER CHECKLIST

Turn off all water to the hose bibs (outside water taps)

This is absolutely essential as water that is left in plumbing to the outside of the property can freeze and burst.  If you don't know how to find your outside water shut off, watch this video.

Winterize irrigation system (if applicable)

For tenants with sprinkler systems, ensure water is turned off and email EMC Property Management at emctenants@gmail.com for further instructions.

Change furnace filters

Filters must be changed regularly (suggested every 3 months) for the furnace to operate properly.  Your breathing air quality will be made better and the property will be heated more comfortably with a well operating furnace with clean filters.  In some situations where tenants did not change filters for long periods of time, this put undue stress on a blower motor and caused failure which ended up being a tenant cost.  We want to avoid this!

Be careful to never leave windows or doors open long term during cold

Cold air can flow through a window or door and find it's way to water lines.  This can lead to burst pipes and enormous damage.  Make sure you are aware of when windows and doors are opened and ensure they are closed in a timely manner.

Clear snow/ice from walkways

This may seem obvious, but if your sidewalks are not cleared regularly the city will come do it and will charge.  Keeping sidewalks clear not only keeps the neighbors happy but also the City Fines Dept away!

Leaving town?  Make sure someone is keeping an eye on the property

If you are leaving for any stretch of time and the property will be unattended, ensure you have an adult checking in on the property every few days.  In some cases, your insurance will lapse if the property is unattended for more than a few days.  A property that is unattended has greater risks of damage.  If you are leaving town, consider turning off water mains and running the water until it stops at the lowest plumbing access and leaving it off until you return.  The costs of an unattended property having something like a water line burst could be enormous.

We value our tenants and want them to be fully equipped to deal with winter and the expectations of property care.  Take care of these items when the cold comes and you will be in a good position to handle the unexpected.