It is your responsibility as a landlord to provide your tenants with a habitable dwelling, which includes ensuring that the space has the essentials, like heat. You want to make sure that your property is well-maintained, and your tenant has a responsibility to take care of your property. Of course, whoever is paying the utilities wants to keep those costs down. Fortunately, the landlord and tenant can work together to make sure that the space is warm and the utility bills are reasonable for whoever is paying them. Use these tips to cut utility costs this winter while keeping tenants warm.
Tips for Landlords
Eliminate air leaks. Air leaks are a major source of lost heat in a home. If the doors or windows are drafty, all of the heat that you are paying for will escape through those air leaks. You can use a candle to help you find air leaks. Light the candle, and move it along the edges of door frames and window frames. If you see the candle flicker or the smoke wisp, then you know that there is an air leak. In order to eliminate air leaks, you should caulk around windows and install door panels at the bottom of doors. Even if you aren’t aware of any air leaks, it’s a good idea to replace caulk that looks old or worn.
Change the furnace filter. When the furnace filter gets old and dirty, the furnace can’t heat the house efficiently. Dust and debris clog up the filter, so the furnace has to work harder to heat the house. Fortunately, this is a simple and inexpensive fix. Just replace the furnace filter every three to six months, depending on usage. All that you have to do is pull the old filter out and drop a new one in.
Install a programmable thermostat. Your tenants are probably gone to work for much of the day. While they are gone and the home is empty, does the furnace really need to be running to keep the heat at 70 degrees? You can avoid heating an empty home by installing a programmable thermostat. This way, the house can stay cooler while it’s empty, and heat up again so that it’s comfortable when the tenants get home from work each day.
Don’t leave the bathroom fan running. Many of us, while rushing around in the morning, turn on the bathroom fan after our shower and then leave for work, forgetting to turn the fan off. When that fan continues to run, it pulls the heat out of the house. Let your tenants know that they can help to keep the home heated more efficiently by not running the bathroom fan any more than necessary.
Use insulated curtains. Even if the windows are well-caulked, some cold can still penetrate the room. Tenants can create a barrier against the cold by using insulated curtains.
Be careful with space heaters. From 2006 to 2010, 32% of house fires were caused by space heaters. Don’t leave them running at night or while you are not at home.
Tips for Tenants
These tips will help you to keep your property warm without running up huge utility bills. If you are a landlord and would like some help caring for your rental property, get in touch with the experts at McMath Realty. We provide property management services so that you don’t have to worry about the day-to-day issues of being a landlord. Our services are available in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa and surrounding area.
Contact McMath Realty to learn more today https://mcmathrealty.com//contact.php.