Each season of the year has its own unique challenges that property managers must overcome. Chicago winter (and anywhere with similar conditions) is always particularly challenging, and effective building management during these times is one of the key indicators of a great property management company.
Our winter property management checklist includes things like:
- The proper maintenance and operation of the HVAC system to ensure consistent heat. Ideally, appropriate maintenance should have been done during the fall, so that the HVAC system is working flawlessly by the time it actually needs to be used.
- Timely removal of snow and ice from the building premises (including parking lot). This is a major safety issue, but also one of comfort. Owners will expect to have all pathways, alleys, and streets reasonably clean from winter precipitation.
- Salting of outside areas. This could potentially be lumped with snow cleanup, but it’s so important that we’re giving it its own point.
- Protecting the building exterior. Winter weather can wreak havoc on the exterior of a building, so it’s a good idea to prevent snow/ice accumulations from gathering and damaging the masonry, roof, and doors/windows.
- Watching out for floor wet spots indoors. Providing the appropriate winter mats to avoid slippery situations for building residents and visitors is a must.
- Ensuring appropriate security during holiday season. Holidays tend to have more people coming in and out of the building, so it’s a good idea to make sure all locks work as expected, and to keep an eye out for any potential problems.
- Doing all this within (and preferably below) budget. Anyone can fix a problem by throwing money at it, but the property management company should find a way to do so while saving as much as the building’s reserves as possible.
Have a question about effective winter building maintenance? Get in touch with us!
