Winterizing Your Rental Home

Seven Tips for Winterizing your Rental Unit

You may not think that those small cracks and crevices around your doors and windows are a very big deal. But, did you know that a 1/8″ space between a standard exterior door and its threshold is equivalent to a two square inch hole in the wall? According to Lowe’s, closing those gaps can save you up to 15% in heating and cooling costs. Not to mention it will keep your new tenants warm and happy!

1. Unplug unused appliances
   Turn off and unplug any appliances that do not need to stay on (i.e. washers and dryers); many appliances draw power even when they aren’t being used. FYI: Refrigerators are one of the biggest energy wasters.
2. Turn the heat down
   Unless you have potential tenants viewing your unit, set the thermostat to 55 degrees. However, don’t set it lower than 55 degrees – your chances of freezing water pipes greatly increases if you set your thermostat lower than 55 degrees!
3. Caulk is easy
   On a windy day feel for drafts around doors, windows and exterior walls near the floor, electrical outlets and plumbing. Seal these spaces with caulk and weatherstripping to ensure that you’re not wasting energy on heat that escapes through leaks outside. Caulk works best on small gaps. For larger gaps you may want to use self-adhesive foam or your local hardware store consultant may have other suggestions.
4. Threshold seals are easy too
   If drafts sneak in under exterior doors, you can either look into replacing the threshold or if that’s not practical look to insert a threshold seal. You should try to buy one that fits the opening exactly, if possible. Otherwise, buy the next size up and cut it to fit your door. You can find these at your local hardware store.
5. Remove window air conditioners
   During the winter, remove window air conditioners. It is very likely that heat is escaping through and around the window unit.
6. Replace or clean furnace filters once a month.
   Dust and dirt can quickly clog vital parts, making your furnace run harder, using more energy, and eventually breaking down.
7. Use plastic window kits to insulate your windows
   In the winter, storm windows can reduce your heat loss by 25-50 percent. If your rental unit doesn’t have storm windows you can improve the windows temporarily with plastic sheeting installed on the inside.