Call of the month - Vacant during festive periods

The situation

One of our members, who owns a student-let HMO, contacted us seeking advice on how to maintain a furnished property when the tenants go home for the Christmas period.

Students often spend over a month out of the property during this period. This may lead to concerns about maintenance and security of the property.

The advice

When tenants leave the property for an extended period, there is usually a clause in the contract that compels them to inform the landlord. This clause features in the NRLA’s AST template which includes clauses that require tenants to lock doors, turn on burglar alarms, inform the landlord if they will be absent for seven days or more and turn on all the taps and showers to flush out the water systems.  

Frozen pipes and other cold-related potential hazards can also occur at this time and will be more of a risk when tenants are absent from the properties.

The heating system in properties should be left on at a lower temperature throughout the winter period, especially if the property is going to be vacant.

The landlord or letting agent should go into the property periodically during the vacant period and turn on the heating and water. This is also recommended for security reasons.

Problems around legionella and other such issues can become more apparent when the property is left vacant. This is covered in our online guidance.

Water systems should be used at least once a week to maintain a degree of water flow and minimise the chances of stagnation. Make sure also the system is flushed through when it is re-occupied by running all the outlets for at least two minutes. 

As winter approaches, it will be worth letting student tenants know about the steps they can take to prevent cold-related issues. It is worth reading our template letter that covers what you should send to tenants during the winter to prevent cold-related issues such as boilers breaking, damp, burst pipes etc.