Do You Have a Seasonal Checklist for Your Long Beach Rental?

Here are a few important rental maintenance items to add to your Long Beach rental’s seasonal checklist. 

Occasional sprinkles and showers are typical seasonal elements in Long Beach. Over time, rain gutters fill with leaves, sticks, rocks, litter, and more that can cause them to clog. Leaving this debris untouched not only makes it difficult for the gutters to catch rain, but can also cause mold growth, leaking roofs, and rodent infestations. As such, it is important to clean your gutters at least once a year.

Autumn is usually the best time to clean your gutters, especially if your rental property is abounding with trees. Additionally, consider cleaning your gutters (or at least checking on them) after any downpour or windstorm.

Though it may seem daunting, cleaning your gutters is fairly simple as it only requires a few basic tools: a ladder, a small scoop, and a garden hose. 

Once you have all these tools, you can climb up the ladder and use the scoop to remove all the muck. Afterward, rinse out the gutter with a garden hose and it should look good as new! 

Most rentals with a laundry dryer have an exhaust vent outside the property. This vent propels dust and lint during cycles. These particles can collect within the vent, leading to the growth of mold and creating a fire hazard. Yet, many people neglect to clean their dryer vents on a regular basis. 

To do so, all you need is a scrubbing brush and some cleaning solution (dishwashing soap will suffice). Lather the scrubbing brush in the cleaning solution and run it along the outside exhaust vent, making sure to collect as much dust and lint as possible. Doing so once a year is crucial to maintaining a safe area for your renters to wash and dry their clothes. 

Most Long Beach properties feature furnaces to combat cold winter nights. For those summer heat waves, some also include air conditioning units. It is important that you have any of your rental’s climate control equipment serviced once a year. 

Failure to schedule annual furnace inspections can have dire consequences for your tenants. Faulty furnaces may emit carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless, and deadly gas. Installing carbon monoxide detectors across your rental can help avoid any catastrophe. Nevertheless, you should still have your furnace serviced every autumn (before temperatures drop to chilling levels) to further prevent the accumulation of dust and mold in your furnance’s air filter and ensure that the furnace is effectively heating your rental. 

Similarly, air conditioners require annual check-ups to guarantee that they are running to the best of their ability. Most of the time, inspections consist of nothing more than cleaning the air filter of any grime and checking that all the parts are running smoothly. It is best to have your air conditioners serviced around springtime (before temperatures rise to blazing levels). 

To service your heating and air conditioning units, schedule an appointment with your local HVAC repair company or you can even call us for our preferred vendors. 

There are plenty of positives to having a tankless water heater on your rental property. They take up less space, are more environmentally friendly, and save money long-term. Despite this, they do require added care and inspection than storage tank water heaters. 

Since tankless water heaters heat the water as you turn on the faucet, there is room for complication. Thus, plumbers need to check that your tankless water heater is heating properly and at the right temperature. Furthermore, the minerals present in water can impede flow over time, leading to irreversible damage. 

Taking these factors into consideration, you should have your tankless water heater serviced every six months by your local plumbing company. 

Plants can be a lovely and charming addition to both the inside and outside of your rental. However, some plants are much more difficult to maintain than others. Finding plants that are both affordable and low-maintenance, such as perennials, succulents, and drought-tolerant plants, can both beautify your Long Beach property and alleviate your seasonal responsibilities. To learn more about these accessible options, check out the following blog post: Low-maintenance Landscaping for Your Long Beach Rental.

Establishing a seasonal checklist is a vital component of property management. If you are looking for assistance with caring for your Long Beach rental, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or you can fill out our Owner Application online.