Winterizing Your Rental Property: Essential December Maintenance Tasks

If you’ve ever gotten a “no heat” text on a cold night, you already get why the season matters.

December is when small maintenance issues stop being little. A slow drip turns into a frozen pipe. A drafty window turns into a tenant who can’t sleep. And then you’re scrambling for a contractor when half the city is doing the same thing.

So this book is a practical guide to help you winterize your rental units before winter gets a vote. It’s written for independent landlords with a few doors—people who do plenty themselves and still want a plan that feels sane.

I’ll keep it simple. Not simplistic. There’s a difference.

What winterizing a rental property really means (in plain terms)

Winterizing isn’t one magic task. It’s a handful of boring, high-impact checks that reduce risk.

You’re trying to prevent:

• Frozen pipes and water damage
• Heating failures
• Drafts that drive up energy bills (and complaints)
• Ice hazards that lead to injuries
• Moisture problems that can turn into mold

Key takeaway: winterizing is risk control. It protects the home, your budget, and your tenants’ day-to-day comfort.

Start With The Heat: Confirm the system works before it’s urgent.

If you can only focus on one task, confirm that the heating system works.

Heating problems don’t wait politely. They show up on weekends. They can show up the day you leave town. Or when your tenant has guests.

Here’s a realistic December heat check:

• Replace HVAC filters (or confirm the tenant knows how, if that’s your setup).
• Test the thermostat. Make sure it’s accurate and responsive.
• Walk the unit and inspect vents and baseboards for blocked airflow.
• If you haven't had the opportunity to inspect your boiler or older system this season, please consider scheduling professional service.

If you’re thinking, “It worked last winter,” that’s fair. It might work again. But winter is when systems fail, and the cost of being wrong is high.

Key takeaway: confirm heat early, when you still have choices.

Pipes freeze fast. Your job is to slow that down.

Frozen pipes are one of those landlord stories that always sounds dramatic. Then something happens to you, and you realize the drama was earned.

A few steps help a lot:

Insulate exposed pipes.

Look under sinks, in basements, crawl spaces, garages, and exterior walls. If you see exposed plumbing, add pipe insulation. It’s cheap. It’s not glamorous. It works.

Seal air leaks near plumbing.

Cold air sneaks in through gaps around:

• Pipe penetrations under sinks
• Utility entry points
• Basement windows
• Crawl space vents (depends on your climate and building type)

Use appropriate sealant. If you’re unsure, ask a handyman. I’m not shy about outsourcing this part.

Know your shutoff valves.

This is less about prevention and more about damage control.

• Confirm the main water shutoff location.
• Label it if it’s not obvious.
• Make sure someone can access it quickly.

Key takeaway: the best time to find your shutoff valve is not during a flood.

Water heaters: small checks, big payoff

Water heaters don’t get attention until they fail. Which is, I think, unfair. They’re doing a lot.

In December, consider:

• Checking for leaks or corrosion around the base.
• Confirming the temperature setting is safe (many landlords aim around 120°F, but follow local guidance).
• Flushing the tank if it’s part of your normal maintenance schedule.

If your unit has a tankless system, follow the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations. If you don’t have those handy, that’s a sign to save them somewhere you’ll think to look later.

Drafts, windows, and doors: comfort matters more than you think.

Tenants can tolerate a lot. But being cold at home is personal.

Drafts create an unusual kind of stress. People start worrying the house is broken. They stop trusting you. This is true even when the heating system is working.

December tasks that help:

• Replace worn weatherstripping on exterior doors.
• Add door sweepers where the light shows under the door.
• Inspect window locks and latches (a loose window leaks more air).
• Consider simple window insulation film for older windows.

Key takeaway: comfort complaints are often draft complaints in disguise.

Roof, gutters, and drainage: keep water moving away from the building.

Winter water is sneaky. It freezes, melts, refreezes, and finds paths you didn’t know existed.

Before heavy snow or rain hits:

• Clear gutters and downspouts.
• Confirm downspouts discharge away from the foundation.
• Look for missing shingles, flashing issues, or obvious roof damage.
• Examine the grading near the foundation if you’ve had past water issues.

If you’re not comfortable on a ladder, don’t force it. Hire it out. A fall is worse than a clogged gutter.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors: do not skip this step.

This is safety, and it’s basic.

In December, heating systems run more. People use space heaters. Some cook more. Risks go up.

• Test smoke detectors.
• Test carbon monoxide detectors.
• Replace batteries if needed.
• Confirm placement meets local requirements.

Key takeaway: detector checks are quick, and the downside of skipping them is enormous.

Space heaters: set a clear policy and communicate it plainly.

Some landlords ban space heaters. Some allow them. Tenants use them anyway.

I’m somewhat conflicted here. Space heaters can be risky. But telling tenants “never, never, never” can lead to them hiding it, which is worse.

A practical approach:

• Put your policy in writing.
• If allowed, require modern units with tip-over shutoff.
• Remind tenants to keep heaters away from curtains and bedding.
• Ask them not to use extension cords.

Keep the tone calm. No scare tactics. People tune that out.

Exterior hazards: ice is a liability problem, not just a nuisance.

Slip-and-fall incidents are common in winter. And they can get expensive.

December checklist for outside:

• Stock ice melt and a shovel (or confirm your vendor does).
• Verify the exterior lighting. Short days mean more dark walkways.
• Repair loose handrails and uneven steps.
• Confirm drainage paths so meltwater doesn’t refreeze across walkways.

If you use a snow removal service, it would be helpful to confirm expectations now. Don’t assume they’ll show up fast during the first big storm.

Key takeaway: clear walkways protect people and protect you.

Tenant communication is the often-overlooked part of winterizing.

Winterizing isn’t only tools and insulation. It’s people.

Tenants can help prevent winter damage, but they need to know what to do. They also need to feel comfortable telling you when something seems off.

A short December message can cover:

• What temperature they should keep the unit at during cold snaps
• How to report non-heating issues (and what counts as urgent)
• A reminder to report slow drains or leaks early
• A note about the space heater policy.
• Please specify who is responsible for handling snow and ice, as well as the timing of these actions.

This doesn’t need to be long. It does need to be clear.

Key takeaway: clear expectations reduce emergencies.

Vacancy winterizing: treat an empty unit differently than one that is occupied.

An empty unit is more vulnerable. No one is there to notice a leak. No one is running hot water. No one is keeping interior doors open for airflow.

If a property will be vacant in December:

• Set the thermostat to a safe minimum temperature (follow local guidance).
• Shut off water if appropriate and legal for your setup.
• Drain lines if you’re in a freeze-prone area and the unit will sit.
• Please arrange for someone to inspect the unit regularly.

If you’re unsure what’s appropriate for your building type, call a plumber. It’s a short call that can prevent a long mess.

Document what you did (yes, even if it feels extra).

This part feels boring. And it is.

But documentation helps when:

• When a tenant reports an issue, having documentation helps you establish a timeline.
• You’re coordinating vendors.
• You are managing multiple units and may forget what issues you have already addressed.

Keep a simple log:

• Date
• Task completed
• Vendor name (if any)
• Notes and photos

Key takeaway: a basic maintenance record makes you faster and more consistent.

Here is a quick maintenance list for December, providing a concise overview.

If you want a compact view, here’s the core set:

• Heat system check and filter replacement
• Pipe insulation and air leak sealing
• Water heater inspection
• Weatherstripping and draft control
• Gutters and drainage check
• Smoke and CO detector testing
• Exterior lighting and slip-hazard prep
• Tenant winter-tips message

Use it as a memory jog, not a perfection test.

Winterizing is part maintenance, part trust.

When you winterize rental units well, tenants feel it. The home stays comfortable. Fewer emergencies happen. And when something does go wrong, you’re responding with a plan, not panic.

This is where Rent With Clara fits naturally.

Winter tends to bring more stress, more rushed decisions, and sometimes more screening risk. Rent With Clara helps landlords and renters share verified information in a cleaner way through a renter-controlled rental passport. Verified identity. Verified income. There will be less back-and-forth when you’re already busy.

It’s not a substitute for maintenance. Nothing is. But it does support the same goal: a rental process built on trust, clarity, and fewer unpleasant surprises.

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