This post has been updated current information for 2022
Going away for the winter break? Be sure you talk to your landlord about standard winter preparations for Athens Ohio rental homes. You don’t want to return to a cake of ice in the toilet; nor do you want your pipes to break while you’re gone, flooding your home and possessions, and possibly leaving your landlord with a big plumbing and home repair bill. Here are some tips for going away.
- Lower, but don’t completely shut off, your thermostat
If you have a heating source with a thermostat, set it for at least 60 degrees, to ensure the place stays warm enough not to freeze when temperatures plunge.
- Don’t let your pipes freeze
If you haven’t spent the winter there before, ask the landlord about cold spots. For instance, maybe the heat doesn’t reach all the way into the kitchen and you’re concerned about pipes freezing under the sink. Leave the cabinet doors open wherever there are pipes in an exterior wall.
You may want to ask the landlord to wrap heat tape or extra insulation around the plumbing.
- Seal up gaps
Air seal your home against the cold. Maybe you can get your landlord to deduct some of the rent if you offer to go around the house and caulk, weather strip and insulate the cracks and gaps around windows and doors, baseboards, pipes, wiring and cables.
- Invest in space heaters
Invest in a good quality room heater for parts of the home that you might be concerned will freeze. Talk to the landlord about this and do ask someone to check on your home to make sure the temperature is adequate to prevent freezing.
- Make sure your parking spot is secure
If your rental has a parking spot and you’re leaving your car there over break, make sure it’s secure. Invest in a wheel lock that you can put in your steering wheel.
- Clean up the yard
If you live a little further off-campus in a five or six bedroom home, odds are you have a front or back yard. Make sure to pick up all trash in the yard at your rental before leaving, or else you may come back to some posted citations from code enforcement. Not a great Christmas gift.