Remind your tenants to: 

• Check the heating works in every room and let you know if there are any issues as soon as they spot them. 
• Regularly bleed radiators to stop air locks to help the water circulate freely, enabling the radiators to supply consistent heat. Not all systems can have their radiators bled so make sure to remind your tenant/s to read and follow the relevant manufacturer’s instructions. They should also take precautions before starting the job to ensure the flooring/carpeting is not damaged by any escaping water. 
• Set the heating thermostat to suit the weather conditions and in line with the manufacturer’s instructions before they go on any holidays as well as when they are home during particularly cold periods to help prevent freezing pipes.
• Keep an eye on their oil or LPG levels and arrange top-up appointments as early as possible to ensure they do not run short; companies get busy during the colder months, so it is best for them to keep a close eye on levels and act quickly.

Your responsibilities:

• Boilers need servicing, normally annually, to make sure they are in good working order; it also reduces the risk of breakdowns. We suggest you have this done at the same time as the annual gas check as separate visits will incur more cost. 

Taking action yourself and reminding your tenants: 

• If during a period of very cold weather the boiler shows a fault code, it’s worth suggesting your tenant resets the boiler in the first instance before asking for an engineer to visit to see if the problem has ‘melted’ away with an ice thaw.
• During periods of frost / freezing weather outside pipes are at risk of freezing if they haven’t been protected with waterproof lagging, it’s a simple action that you can take to save you the price of an engineer visit. 

Condensing boilers have either an internal or external condensate pipe. This pipe leads waste water away from the boiler and down a drain. Most are fitted internally but, in some cases, they have to be fitted outside, which opens up the risk of the pipe freezing in cold weather. If this happens, the boiler will lockout to stop waste water from building up and flooding and the boiler will display an error code.

To unfreeze the pipe: find the blocked part of the pipe, most blockages happen if there’s bend or dip in the pipe. Once you've located the blockage, hold a hot water bottle, microwaveable heating pack or warm cloth around the frozen part of the pipe. Pour hot water over the frozen part using a watering can – don't use boiling water as it could cause the plastic pipe to melt. Watch out for any water on the floor as it can quickly freeze.

After unfreezing the pipe, you might need to reset the boiler to get it going again. Some boilers will do this automatically so it's best to take a look in your boiler's manual for next steps.

Remind your tenants: 

• If your tenancy agreement says it is the tenant’s responsibility to sweep the chimney and they choose to instruct a third party to do this job, remind them to book the appointment early as sweeps get busy as soon as it gets cold.

Remind your tenants to: 

• Test all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms weekly to make sure they are working.  
• Have spare batteries ready for when needed. 
• Let you know immediately if they have replaced the battery and the alarm is still not working. It is your responsibility as per the legislation to get these fixed as soon as you are alerted to an issue.

What you need to do: 

• If your gas safety record is due to expire, you must arrange for the new one to be done and a copy to be given to the tenant no later than 28 days after the new check is done. 
• If it is in date, diarise when the next check is due so you can book the appointment and get a copy of the new record to the tenant before it expires.
• You can have your gas safety record completed up to two months before the expiry date, the original expiry date is preserved, a bit like an MOT certificate for your car.

You can set a reminder at Stay Gas Safe, read more in our ‘Setting a gas safe reminder’.

What you need to do/remind your tenant to do: 

• Electrical installations must be tested before a tenancy starts and then in line with the engineer's recommendation, but at least once every five years.
• Any portable appliances must be maintained in a safe condition which means that while regulations do not specify what needs to be done, by whom or how often, they should be tested to ensure they are safe for use. Remember to have both indoor and outdoor items such as lawnmowers and any power tools you have left for the tenants’ use checked over.
• You should remind your tenants to visually check all items on a regular basis and let you know if they spot any issues. 
• And finally, the London Fire Brigade has reported an increase in house fires due to faulty /incorrectly stored e-bike and e-scooter batteries. If your tenant owns an e-bike or e-scooter you should make sure they tell you so you can not only tell your insurance company but so you can also explain the safety measures they should be taking. 

Remind your tenant to: 

• Keep on top of any seasonal jobs before the weather gets colder and gardening becomes more of a chore. 
• Regularly rake the leaves during the autumn to reduce the risk of slips and falls, and to protect the grass.
• Keep an eye on the health of any trees and large shrubs to reduce the risk of them causing damage.
• Review the property for any structural damage, missing tiles, damaged pointing, cracked brickwork or render and so on – especially after high winds or extreme weather.
• Keep an eye on overhanging branches, in colder weather iced-over branches that overhang a roof can cause damage when they snap.
• Prune back ivy and other creeping vines that have reached roof height or pose a risk to fence panels.
• Regularly clear any gullies, gutters, downpipes and drains to keep them free flowing and avoid any overflow of water which could cause damp or masonry issues.
• Check the insulation on the water pipes is in good repair and let you know if it needs replacing. 
• Consider turning off outside taps for the winter, there should be an isolation valve inside the house.
• In icy weather and after snow has fallen make sure to clear the paths and drive to reduce the risk of anyone slipping. 
• Ensure they know the location of the control for the mains water (also known as the stopcock) so they can switch off the water in case of an emergency. 
• Let you know as soon as any issues are established that may need attention.

What you need to do/remind your tenant to do: 

If you are planning to go away, you should give your tenants a local friend or family member’s contact details, so they have someone to contact in an emergency.

You should also remind your tenants if any of the below things happen, they should take the following steps first:

If they smell gas: 

• Do not use electric switches or naked flames
• Leave the property and,
• Free call (UK numbers) the National Grid Gas Emergency Hotline on 0800 111 999 and follow their instructions 

 If they do not have electricity: 

• If this is isolated to one room, they should first check the fuse board, if it has tripped, they might just need to replace a blown light bulb. They can then reset the fuse board.
• If there is no electricity in any of the property and the fuse board is fine, they should check with any neighbours. If their neighbours have electricity, they should call the electricity supplier.  
• For an electricity emergency – free call (UK numbers) the National Grid Electric Emergency Hotline on 0800 40 40 90 and follow their instructions. 

If there is no water:  

• They should check if they have cold water running from the kitchen tap, if not, check with the neighbours and if they are having the same issue call their water provider.