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Your Landlord Resource Podcast
Your Landlord Resource Podcast
Fall Maintenance Recap
Fall is here, and that means it’s time for landlords to get ahead of seasonal maintenance and tenant communication before winter sets in. In this shorty episode of Your Landlord Resource Podcast, I’m sharing a quick checklist to help you stay proactive, avoid costly emergencies, and keep your tenants safe and happy.
Kevin and I break down the key areas to focus on: property prep, tenant reminders, seasonal safety checks, and a few timely extras for this year. From HVAC servicing and gutter cleaning to energy efficiency upgrades, you’ll walk away knowing exactly what to prioritize. We also cover how to communicate with tenants about winter responsibilities, rising utility costs, and safe practices during the holiday season.
You’ll even hear our personal stories (including the ongoing AC debate!) that remind you — being a landlord doesn’t have to feel overwhelming when you plan ahead.
Don’t forget to grab our free Fall Maintenance Checklist — it’s linked in the show notes so you can stay on track.
🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned
FREE Download: Fall Maintenance Checklist
Outdoor Water Faucet Cover, 2 Pack
Listen to Episode 27: Fall’s Checklist
Listen to Episode 29: Fire Safety Essentials, Pt 1
Listen to Episode 30: Fire Safety Essentials, Pt 2
Listen to Episode 31: Halloween Tips for Landlords
Listen to Episode 82: Fire Safety, Landlord & Tenant Responsibility
Listen to Episode 86: Winter & End of Year Prep for Your Rental Property
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👆Click HERE for our FREE Landlord Forms and Doc’s
🤳Text Us: 650-489-4447. We love questions and love letters!
📩Email us at: Stacie@YourLandlordResource.com, Kevin@YourLandlordResource.com
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Way too many landlords have that what I don't know won't hurt me mindset. And guess what? It really does hurt when that tenant moves out and there's$5000 or$10,000 worth of work that needs to be completed all at one time. Don't you think that it would be better to do a little here and a little there and not get slammed with a huge expense at the end? It's also more business focus as well. And I say this because we have a landlord that we do work for. We only help him find and place tenants. We don't do full property management. And he just finished up a$15,000 job replacing the whole back wall of his single family home rental, because there was such extreme damage from an undetected roof leak that caused dry rot over the five years that the tenant was there.
Welcome to Your Landlord Resource podcast. Many moons ago when I started as a landlord, I was as green as it gets. I may have had my real estate license, but I lack confidence and the hands-on experience needed when it came to dealing with tenants, leases, maintenance, and bookkeeping after many failed attempts. Fast forward to today, Kevin and I have doubled our doors and created an organized. Professionally operated rental property business. Want to go from overwhelm to confident if you're an ambitious landlord or maybe one in the making. Join us as we provide strategies and teach actionable steps to help you reach your goals and the lifestyle you desire. All well building is streamlined and profitable rental property business. This is Your Landlord Resource Podcast.
Stacie:Hey landlords. Welcome back to the Your Landlord Resource Podcast. I'm Stacie Casella, and I'm here with my husband and co-host Kevin Kilroy. And today we're doing something a little different. We're doing a quick shorty episode and that's gonna give you all the full reminders that landlords should be paying attention to before the winter hits.
Kevin:Yeah, so if you've been listening for a while, you know we've already gone in depth on a lot of these topics from fall maintenance to fire safety to Halloween tips. But we also know that once fall gets busy, it helps to have some quick reminders to check against your own landlord to-do list. I know that we've been getting ready to begin some pretty big projects at our house soon. And nothing we're doing ourselves, but we need a new roof, we're doing some electrical upgrades,, and we're also getting the exterior of the house painted.
Stacie:And adding air conditioning.
Kevin:Yes, you're getting that damn air conditioning. I mean, you guys, she has been bugging me for air conditioning for years. And what we get two, maybe three weeks a year when it gets really hot, you know, like in the nineties. So I'd be curious about what you think. Do we need AC for those few weeks or am I being totally stubborn?
Stacie:Yeah, I would like to know that as well,'cause I know that those midlife mamas out there are gonna agree that our bedroom on the second floor, that we need air conditioning more than ever for those few weeks. And I understand that this year in particular, we have not experienced much hot, hot weather here in the San Francisco Bay Area. And I get that as the crow flies, we are what, like three miles from the Pacific Ocean and that does cool us down. But these damn hot flashes are a killer and I need some relief. And kid three actually agrees because his room gets sun all day long and it's like a sauna in there. So yes, I would love to hear what our listeners think about our differing opinions on whether we need air conditioning or not. You can send us a, an email or DMS on Instagram or message us on Facebook with your thoughts.
Kevin:Wow. I mean, you are all fired up about this, aren't you?
Stacie:Yeah, literally and figuratively.
Kevin:Okay, the great debate about AC continues. But let's get back to the episode. So think of today's episode as a fall checklist refresher. We'll highlight the main points, we'll sprinkle in a couple of updates for this year, and point you back to our longer episodes if you need more information and want to take a deep dive into the other episodes. And let's be honest, part of the reason we're doing this shorty is because fall snuck up on us too. It seems one day I'm swimming in Lake Tahoe and now I'm adding a reminder to my phone to buy ice melt for the walkways up there.
Stacie:Yeah, well it's not too far off. I do love fall though. And it's when we got our best weather. And back in the day when the kids were back in school, I had my days to do what I needed. Not now. I kind of miss those times. But anyway, let's dive into the first category, which is getting your property ready. Okay, so when we talk about property prep for fall, we're really talking about one thing, and that's prevention. A little work now keeps you from getting those dreaded 2:00 AM calls in January. And the first big one is gonna be your HVAC or your heating systems. Schedule your furnace or your boiler service. Change those filters. Check your thermostats, and make sure that you and your tenants know where any emergency shutoffs are.
Kevin:Yeah, I mean, that's a great point. Just don't assume tenants will tell you if something's off. I mean, we know of a landlord who had a tenant once that went all the way through December without heat because the thermostat batteries died. I mean, they just thought the furnace was broken and they didn't want to bother the landlord because there are many tenants who have the belief that if they put in for a major maintenance issue, their rent's gonna be increased. A$2 fix turned into a weekend service call that could have been easily avoided.
Stacie:Yeah, so first, let me address that issue of tenants not calling in for maintenance because they fear that their rent's gonna increase. Landlords make it clear from the get go that they may see annual increases that depend on the market rates. If you are at the top of the market rent wise, you know, maybe skip a year or do a small increase at 18 months because then your tenants will feel like, Hey, I'm paying good money to live here, and the place needs to be in good working order. And then you're gonna find that they're gonna call when it's necessary. Will they call for stupid stuff? Probably. And they might. We have some tenants that have no idea what it takes to operate and maintain a home. We have some that are willing to handle small things on their own. And I'm talking about tightening loose cabinet handles or hinges or like putting screen tape over a small hole in a window screen. You know, stuff like that. What you don't want is for them to handle things that they have no experience dealing with, like roof leaks or appliance repairs. Because those can cause more work and expense for you in the long run. Which is why we always recommend that you get into your units at least twice a year. Once if you just can't handle biannual inspections. But you need to get eyes on your unit, it's gonna save you a lot of headaches down the road, and it shows your tenants that you care about taking care of the unit that they live in. Make the inspection about your need to check for leaks, check on appliances, the roof, et cetera. Don't make'em feel like you're going in there to check on them and see if they're violating the lease. Which you are absolutely there to do, uh, as well as the maintenance. Because way too many landlords have that what I don't know won't hurt me mindset. And guess what? It really does hurt when that tenant moves out and there's$5000 or$10,000 worth of work that needs to be completed all at one time. Don't you think that it would be better to do a little here and a little there and not get slammed with a huge expense at the end? It's also more business focus as well. And I say this because we have a landlord that we do work for. We only help him find and place tenants. We don't do full property management. And he just finished up a$15,000 job replacing the whole back wall of his single family home rental,, because there was such extreme damage from an undetected roof leak that caused dry rot over the five years that the tenant was there. They never go to the rental. If the tenant pays on time, they let everything go unless they're called out for a repair. And when they do go in for the repair, they do just that one thing and they leave. They don't walk around or make sure that there's anything else that needs to be done. All right. That went on way longer than, than I had intended.
Kevin:Yeah, but property inspections are part of today's show. And you're right, many landlords are shy or hesitant to bother the tenant. Please bother them. Do inspections. Okay, now with that said, Stacie and I change the thermostat batteries once a year. That few dollars immediately cuts one line of questioning out should someone call and say the heater or the AC isn't working. And that's why going in and doing inspections and testing the HVAC or heater ahead of time is worth it. Okay, moving on. Next, check your gutters and roof. Leaves pile up quickly and clogged gutters can lead to ice dams and water damage. Take a look at that roof too. Missing shingles now can mean leaks later. Which leads me to the outside. Don't forget the exterior. Seal any gaps, check your grading, and trim back branches that could break under ice. And this is a huge one. Turn off those exterior water spigots and drain them so you don't end up with burst pipes.
Stacie:Yeah. For our mountain homes, even though the lines have been drained, we like to use, uh, insulated spigot covers. We found these ones on Amazon that are pretty inexpensive and they'll work whether you drain the outside water lines or not. So we'll link those in the show notes if you wanna check'em out. All right, and here's a new emphasis for the year. Energy efficiency. You know, heating costs are up almost everywhere. Landlords can save money long term by doing small projects like weather stripping doors, or adding insulation in attics, and even installing smart thermostats. And where we do not have smart thermostats, we are looking into them. It makes it tough because you need a third wire for the smart part to work, and most older homes and properties don't have those. But I believe there is one brand out or one that's coming out that has done a workaround on needing that third wire. So as soon as we know more, we'll let you know. But here's why smart thermostats are so important. Tenants like to have smart technology in their units. And for thermostats, it allows them to turn the heater off or down after they've already left. And here's the deal, most tenants pay for their own utilities. So if they had out of town and if they forget to lower their heater or air conditioning in the summer months, they will come home to an insanely high bill. In our case, in our midterm rental, we pay the utilities. And the person we have in there now travels quite a bit. And Jim was over at the property working one day and the air conditioner for this unit kept going on and off and on and off, and he contacted us to see if the tenant was there or not, because he knew that they worked long days and they traveled often. Well come to find out they were traveling and forgot to turn the thermostat off. So, even though it states in the lease that the thermostat must be turned off when you go out of town, this tenant failed to do that. So we got his permission to go in and turn it off. But this is a perfect example of how a smart thermostat could be useful.
Kevin:Yeah, small investments now can lower bills and your tenant's complaints later. And speaking of complaints, snow removal. If you haven't already lined up a snow removal service, now is the time. Don't wait until that first storm. I mean, we learned that lesson one year when our regular snowplow guy booked up and Stacie was not amused when we had to pay through the nose to hire someone else.
Stacie:Yeah, not amused is an understatement, which is why we are reminding you get those contracts set now. If you want the full maintenance lowdown, you can go back to episodes 27 and 31, and we broke all this stuff down step by step. You can access that by going to your landlord resource.com/episode 27 or episode 31. Uh, we'll put the links in our show notes as well.
Kevin:Right. And we also have a free fall checklist or guide you can download. You can grab that@yourlandlordresource.com fall checklist. And as always, we will link that in the show notes for you. Okay, next up is tenant prep and communication. And this is where you remind tenants of their responsibilities and set them up for success through the winter. Just start with the basics. Heat and must stay on at a minimum temperature of 55 degrees, even when they're outta town. Because frozen pipes are not just inconvenient, they're very expensive. And remind them to open cabinet doors under sinks, let faucets drip in extreme cold, and never use ovens or stove tops for heating. And if space heaters are allowed, make sure they know the rules. No extension cords. Keep them away from curtains and never leave them running unattended.
Stacie:You know that one tip about leaving the doors open under the sinks? I just learned that a few years ago actually. So I don't know, in case you guys don't know, it's to allow heat to access the pipes under all your sinks so that they don't freeze up. My dad always has done this in one of our mountain homes and until we took over closing them down, I had no idea why he did that. So anyway. Another great idea is sending out a Fall newsletter or an email. So this is where you would wanna include winter reminders, emergency contact numbers, and instructions for reporting any issues.'cause tenants often are gonna forget lease details, and this is your chance to get everyone back on the same page. You can also address rising utility costs in that email. Give'em some tips there. Tenants are more sensitive to heating bills and that can sometimes turn into complaints that the heat is not working right. So to get ahead of that, share simple energy saving tips. Things like using curtains to keep the heat in, or setting your thermostats at consistent temps or telling'em just to layer up. And of course, let'em know that you're there to do any maintenance that they find necessary, If they can see light coming in under or around the exterior door, you might need to replace their weather stripping.
Kevin:Yeah, think of all the things you would do if you lived in the unit. It shows goodwill, it helps the tenants feel supported, and can cut down on a unnecessary maintenance calls. For more on tenant communication strategies, check out episode 29 where we cover all these in detail. All right, now let's move on to safety. Fall is the perfect time to double check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors. Test them, replace the batteries, and please document that you have done this. We replace batteries twice a year. Now is it necessary? No, but we know that in case of fire, those batteries are good to go. We also put the date on the batteries before installing them, and then we take a photo of it. This is our proof the batteries were installed and up to date in case a tenant removes them and something happens in a fire. Safety is one of those things you never want to overlook. Space heater safety is another big one. If you do allow the use of them, remind tenants about how to use them safely. If you're providing appliances like clothes dryers, make sure vents are cleaned. Clogged dryer vents cause thousands of fires every year.
Stacie:Yeah, we need to do that on the next inspection. I actually already discussed it with Jim.
Kevin:Yeah. It's funny how fast that sneaks up on us. I mean, it feels like we just did it in what, it's probably been a couple years.
Stacie:Yep.
Kevin:Okay. So October also brings fire safety week That's a great excuse to send out a quick email reminder as well. It keeps the tenants aware and reinforces you're proactive about safety. And then there's also Halloween. And you guys need to make sure outdoor lights are working, walkways are clear, and decorations don't create fire hazard. Because nothing says trick or treat, like tripping over a loose extension cord.
Stacie:Yeah, and actually, you know what, pets fall into that one too. With that door being knocked on for hours and hours. Remind your tenants with pets, uh, to make sure that they are restrained properly. Then right after Halloween, we head into the holiday season. And that means reminding tenants not to overload outlets, to use caution with extension cords, and never leave those candles burning unattended. We know that a lot of people like to burn candles, including ourselves. If you want more on safety tips, check out episode 30, episode 82, and episode 86. We've got you covered from fire prevention to holiday hazards. You know where we discuss all of those topics and more. All right, let's cover a few extras that are especially relevant this year. First up, insurance. Premiums are going up all over the country, and fall is a smart time to review your policies, confirm your deductibles, and update photos or documentation of your properties. That way if you need to make a claim after a winter storm, you're ready.
Kevin:Yeah. A lot of our fall maintenance for the mountain homes is focused on defensible space with tree and brush removal to prepare the perimeter of the home in case of wildfires. I mean, these days, if you can prove you've done what the local authorities recommend, and then get a certificate from them, you can submit that certificate to your insurance company for a pretty sizable discount. Often those inspections are free and they tell the property owner exactly what needs to be done to get certified. And don't get me wrong, it's a crap ton of work, but they do know what needs to be done to decrease the chances of losing your home in a wildfire.
Stacie:And actually one more thing about those certificates, at least in our situation. The certificate has to be submitted before the insurance company provides the renewal. We tried to submit it after last year, and they said it wouldn't be applied until the following year, you know, which stunk because the savings was over a thousand dollars. All right, you guys. Next up, vendors. Don't assume your regular HVAC tech, your plumber, or your snow removal service is always gonna be available. Book your contracts now, but always have a backup list. Emergencies, do not wait for business hours, and some companies don't work nights or weekends. And finally, let's talk emergency prep for tenants. Encourage them to keep flashlights and batteries and emergency contacts handy. Not only does it help them feel secure, but it also reduces those middle of the night panic calls when the power goes out and there's nothing you can do until the utility company responds.
Kevin:Yeah. And when the power goes out because one of your tree limbs fell and dropped the power lines, be prepared for a long wait for that power to be restored. These are a few of the little extras that can make a big difference in how smoothly winter goes for your rental property.
Stacie:Yep. All right, you guys, so there you have it. A quick fall checklist for landlords. Property prep, tenant prep, safety reminders, and a few timely extras for this year. If you want the full details, check out the episodes that we linked in the show notes. Don't forget to go and grab that free fall maintenance checklist. It lists out many of the items, that we've talked about here today to help keep you on track. You can grab it by going to your landlord resource.com/fall checklist. And it's also linked in the show notes as well. So thanks for joining us for this relatively short episode. We hope that it helps you head into winter feeling a little more confident or prepared, or at least maybe it'll light a fire under you to get some things done. If you enjoyed this episode, would you guys do us a favor? Would you leave us a kind review of the podcast because reviews help others find out that we're the real deal. And you know, it really does help us. And if you wanna hear more, follow or subscribe to the podcast so that each week the episodes are downloaded right to your favorite podcast platform. And we'd love to stay in touch with you. In the show notes you can find links to all the free downloads we offer, ways to sign up for our free newsletter, and the wait list for our upcoming course on tenant screening. There's also links to our private Facebook group that's just for landlords and our social media accounts, as well as YouTube, where we share very informative, detailed tips and tricks for landlords. So check those out. I think that's about it. Thanks again, and until next time, you've got this landlords.
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