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Is your rental ready for summer?

Can you almost smell the aroma of fresh cut grass, hear the tick, tick, tick of sprinklers, and summon the delectable flavours of a backyard barbecue?

Yep, that’s right, summer is just around the corner, bringing with it the promise of the festive season, a touch of relaxation, and some well-deserved downtime after a busy 2024.

But with summer comes some seasonal risks to your rental property, begging the question, is your rental ready for summer?

Seasonal influences

As much as we all love a great Australian summer, it’s a season that delivers some unique risks right across the country, particularly when it comes to weather events and natural disasters.

It’s also a season where we tend to holiday and travel a bit more, meaning a rental property might be sitting vacant and unoccupied.

So how can we prepare for these circumstances in advance and protect the property against damage, disaster or theft?

Natural disasters

Summer typically delivers some pretty interesting weather right across the country. Most places are more likely to see storm activity, while in the north of the country, it’s also the wet season and there’s an increased likelihood of cyclones.

Meanwhile, summer is typically bushfire season, and over recent years we’ve witnessed just how devastating those fires can be.

Each of these situations brings an increased risk of damage to property, but it’s a situation that can be mitigated with a little preparation.

Preparing for natural disasters

As we count the days until the start of summer, there are a whole host of steps that property owners and renters can take to reduce the risk of damage.

Tree trimming

Trees should be trimmed back and located away from the house. This helps protect the property against damage from falling branches and trees in a severe storm, high winds or extreme wet weather. It also reduces the risk of bushfire affecting the building structure.

Gutter cleaning

Pre-summer is the ideal time for a rental property’s gutters to be cleared. This reduces the risk of the gutters getting clogged and backflowing into a property during heavy rains. It also reduces the fuel load during a bushfire, decreasing the risk the property will catch fire due to ember attack.

A yard clean

Severe storms and cyclones come with the risk of high winds which can turn garden furniture, trampolines, and other outdoor items into projectiles. Now’s a great time to clear the yard while also identifying any items which may need to be secured during extreme weather.

A plan

Both property owners and renters should have a plan in place in the event a natural disaster threatens. For the renter, this includes having an emergency kit of essential items such as torches, water, medical supplies and important documents, along with a preparedness and evacuation plan.

For the property owner, it includes working with the property manager to identify what might need to be done at the property in the event a natural disaster threatens. For example, do shade sails need to come down?

Also, what should happen if a property is damaged during an extreme weather event? How will the property manager contact the property owner and what would need to be provided to the owner’s insurer?

Insurance

On that note, we cannot stress enough how important it is for a property to be properly protected with adequate insurance. And this isn’t just restricted to landlord and building insurance. Renters should also insure their possessions as these are considered separate to the property.

Vacant property

Summer also delivers the festive season, which means renters might be leaving a property vacant for a period while they head off on holidays.

That makes it important to take some security precautions, including:

  • Locking all doors and windows
  • Leaving on some lights or using a timer to make it appear as if someone is home
  • Having someone collect your mail
  • Having a friend check in on the property

How we can help

Our experienced property managers pride themselves on establishing great relationships with both rental occupiers and owners.

We manage every property as if it were our own and you can learn more about our property management services here.

Alternatively, if you are looking to rent a property, you can view the properties we currently have available here.