When your tenant goes away on holiday, or if you have a void period after the end of a tenancy, then there’s a number of checks you should perform to make sure everything’s OK.
Check how long the property can remain empty
Your landlord insurance will have a clause telling you how long the property can be vacant for before your policy is voided. Most policies state 30 days, which is fine if your tenant is away for a couple of weeks in the sun, but if it’s going to be any longer, then you’ll need to talk to your insurer. Most insurers can extend the cover and if yours can’t, they can advise you on a new policy.
Carry out some safety checks between tenancies
As soon as possible after a tenant vacates your property, you should do all the safety checks – electricity and gas, smoke alarms and so on – to get it ready for the next occupants. It’s also a good idea to make sure all of the windows are locked, all the taps are turned off and that your previous tenants haven’t left anything important behind.
Get on with all those maintenance jobs
When you have a tenant, you don’t want to be carrying out too much maintenance as it’s very disruptive, so a holiday or a tenancy void is a great time to get on with any improvement-rather-than-essential maintenance jobs. Having the place empty is much easier for everyone, including any contractors, as they don’t have to arrange access with your tenants. Plus, if it’s a holiday rather than a change of tenancy, your tenants will return home to a new bathroom!
Check on the security of the property
If the place will be empty for more than a week, pop round every seven days or so, pick up post and open and shut curtains. Ask your tenants for permission to put timers on lamps and overhead lights so that they turn on and off at the usual times and you might think about installing a motion-sensitive exterior light.
Check the property after severe weather
If the property floods in heavy rain while your tenant is there, you’ll find out about it soon enough! If they’re lounging on a Mediterranean beach at the time, however, they’ll be none the wiser and neither will you unless you drop round to make sure all’s well.
If there is damage, or you suspect damage, then you can enter the property without asking the tenant for permission.
