Maintenance
Rental property maintenance checklist
Published · Hovora
Most property maintenance is predictable. The jobs that cost the most are usually the ones that were predictable and got missed — a gutter that was not cleared, a service that was not booked. This is a checklist you can schedule against.
Every year
- Boiler or heating system service
- Safety and compliance inspections required where the property sits
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm test and battery replacement
- Roof and exterior inspection from the ground
- Review the insurance policy before it renews, not after
Seasonally
- Clear gutters and downpipes after leaf fall
- Check external drainage before the wet season
- Service air conditioning before the hot season, not during it
- Check heating works before the cold season, not during it
- Trim vegetation away from the building and any drains
Book seasonal work a month before everyone else needs it. Every contractor is available in September and nobody is available in the first cold week.
Between tenancies
- Full clean, including appliances
- Check and photograph the condition of every room
- Test every tap, drain, socket, window and lock
- Replace worn seals, filters and washers while the property is empty
- Repaint where needed — far cheaper with nobody living there
What to record afterwards
Each completed job is worth a line: what was done, when, by whom, and what it cost. That record answers a warranty question, justifies an expense, and tells the next owner the property was looked after.