Once the autumn chill begins and the leaves are set to drop, this can produce gutters clogged with leafy detritus. To make your Amsterdam rental property immaculate every year, it is necessary to make cleaning gutters a basic part of your property maintenance routine. But who should be responsible to clean them out? Though asking your tenant to accomplish the task may appear like an acceptable request, there are important reasons why you should not have them perform regular gutter maintenance. Even if they appear to know what they are accomplishing, asking a tenant to clean your rental property’s gutters could lead to serious injury or property damage, both of which could result in expensive problems later.
Functioning gutters are an essential part of preventing expensive repairs. Overflowing gutters can result in damaged foundations, roofs, and other structural elements of the property. They can likewise lure insects and other pests, in addition to other health hazards like mold. When gutters are not cleaned periodically, they can kickoff substantial problems that you might not be able to identify until it’s already late.
Cleaning gutters is not a difficult task, but it does consume time and you need to know how to accomplish it properly. The right equipment is required, and proper safety procedures should be observed. Most gutters can be cleaned with a ladder, hose or sprayer, and a trowel or plastic scoop. Making use of these tools, you can easily remove large debris from the gutters to keep water flowing in the right direction. It’s critical to be aware that you move debris away from the downspout and check vertical pieces of the gutter for blockages. Flushing these parts with a hose can be quite effective in most cases. Other methods may use a power washer to get the more stubborn dirt out of gutters and downspouts but must be used with care or risk damaging the gutters or even the house itself.
This is part of why asking your tenant to perform gutter maintenance is not a good idea. Your renter may not have a clue how to clean a gutter without damaging it, or even without causing damage to the roof, siding, and other areas of the house. Even well intentioned renters may accidentally cause damage that will be expensive to repair. On top of that, if a renter cleans the gutters but does an appalling job of it, you may not catch that there is a problems for months or even years. Thinking the job has been finished meticulously could cost you months or even years down the road.
A new component to account for is your renter’s well-being and safety. To reach the gutters, it is often necessary to use a ladder and other equipment notorious for causing accidents and injuries. By one estimate, there are more than 36,000 deaths from falling off ladders in the United States every year. Ladder-related injuries are even higher, with more than 164,000 accidents reported annually. With so many hazards included, it is not a splendid idea to have your tenant to go up on a ladder to carry out property tasks on your rental. Should they fall and hurt themselves, you could be sued and found liable to pay their medical and legal expenses.
Cleaning the gutters on your rental property once or twice a year can keep your renters out of harm’s way and prevent expensive repairs and renovations. Whether you take it upon yourself or appoint a trained professional to do it for you, the time and expenditures involved are small compared to the consequences for not ensuring your gutters are properly maintained. At Real Property Management Bozeman, we add regular gutter maintenance with our other quality property maintenance services in Amsterdam. With our support, you will have more time to concentrate on the more treasured aspects of your real estate investing business. For more information, contact us or call us at 406-586-2226 today.
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