Your Oklahoma County Property Manager and Winter Preparation

While many people enjoy the approach of winter because it means warm, cheery fires, snow to go sledding on and Christmas, if you've ever been an Oklahoma County property manager, you do not look forward to this time of year. Why? This is generally the time of year when the expensive, emergency maintenance calls come in. The cold weather just has that kind of impact on homes for rent in Oklahoma County for some reason. Therefore, if you manage rental properties, there are a few things you should do in order to prepare for the winter months.

1. Conduct a Routine Property Inspection. There is a reason why a lot of property managers in Oklahoma County conduct inspections twice a year. One is to prepare for spring and the other is to get ready for winter. At the time of this inspection, make sure you write down any problems that you see with the property. Then, make sure you get these problems fixed as soon as possible because you don't want to be doing it in 20 degree weather.
   
   
2. Turn the Heater On. You, or your Oklahoma County property manager, need to turn on the heater in each one of your rental properties before the "dead of winter" arrives. This is just a good thing to do because it gets the unit running and you will be able to tell if there is a problem that needs to be checked out. Again, it's better to do this while the weather is nice than when it is dreadfully cold, for you and your tenants!
   
   
3. Check Smoke Detectors. Another good thing to do is check all of the smoke detectors in your Oklahoma County rentals to ensure they are working properly. If they aren't, you will either need to replace the batteries or the entire thing. Ensuring your tenants' safety should be one of your top priorities.
   
   
4. Leave a Bag of Salt with Tenants. More than likely, your Oklahoma County property manager doesn't want to have to go shovel driveways and scrape the ice off of sidewalks when it's freezing outside. So, reduce the chances of this happening by leaving a bag of salt or other de-icer with each tenant so they can sprinkle it out themselves in inclement weather.