Landlords: Don’t Forget To Clean Out Gutters At Least Twice A Year

If you are renting out a home for the first time, we should warn you: Tenants rarely inform their landlords about maintenance needs before the issue becomes and issue for them. By the time a maintenance issue is a problem for the tenant, it usually means it will be much more expensive for you. Sometimes, even the best new rental property owners forget about gutter maintenance. They’re quite important though. A backed up gutter can cause leaking into the home! There could be nesting birds, sticks, and all sorts of debris in your gutter and you wouldn’t know until your tenant reported a leak!

Most professionals suggest cleaning gutters twice a year. So, put it on your schedule in advance! I once saw a building with the downspout extension fallen off of it and a pool of water right at the foundation. A week later, the downspout extension was still laying on the ground, and I had to wonder if the tenants had any plans of letting their landlords know. So, it’s not a bad idea to check to make sure are connections are sound on your gutter system as well as clear any drains that gutters might direct water into. A tenant may not even let you know if there is water in the basement if their belongings aren’t at risk.

Gutters help steer rainwater and snowmelt away from your home’s roof, inner fascia and foundation. Excess moisture can cause issues with mold an pests. So, it’s not just water you have to worry about. Moist wood can attract carpenter ants and termites.

Well working gutters can absolutely help. Stop in to your rental home after any major storms to check on damage and make sure gutters are not clogged with debris or fallen.

Safety is important, so get out a ladder and have a spotter if you can. Don’t clean the gutters from the top of the roof. Make sure your ladder is sturdy. Move the ladder as you go, so that you don’t have to lean over too far. It might take extra time, but it won’t save you any time if you end up with a broken leg! Get out a tarp and put it underneath, so that you can toss any debris on that. That will help make cleaning the gutters on your rental home a breeze.

Are You Looking for a Hard Money Loan to Flip a House Or Buy A Rental Property?

Paces Funding is a hard money lender offering hard money loans to purchase and renovate non-owner occupied residential and commercial properties throughout the Atlanta, Nashville, Florida, or the North and South Carolina metropolitan areas. Our application process for hard money loans is easy. Just fill out this very simple online form and you will be contacted shortly. Unlike other lenders, the window between applying and funding is very small. We have funded properties in as a little as one day, but typically funding hard money loans takes about seven to ten days.

Call us at 404-814-1644 or contact us online to find out whether you might qualify for this type of funding. In the meantime, check to ensure that you meet our loan criteria. Our loan amounts can be up to 65 percent of the after-repaired value of the collateral—and if you use the loan for renovation or construction, the loan amount can be based on the collateral’s improved value.