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WINTER WEATHER - RESIDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Resident Responsibilities

As a renter, you are responsible for preparing your home for freezing weather to prevent avoidable damages from freezing pipes. During the winter months, frozen pipes can cause major problems. Below is a list of things to do in order to avoid this wintertime nightmare and potentially damage charges.

Prepare Before the Freezing Temps Arrive

Know the location of your main water shutoff. In an emergency, you are responsible to access it and shut off services quickly to prevent damages to your home and personal items.

Watch the temperature. Even if the inside of your home doesn't fall to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, pipes located in unheated areas such as the basement, attic, garage, and crawl spaces—or in exterior walls with minimal insulation—can still freeze.

Purchase a space heater. It is highly recommended to have a space heater on hand. During severe winter weather there may be delays with service provider availability and/or shortages of in stock appliances. Space heaters will help keep the interior temperatures controlled if a service call is needed but providers are not immediately available.

PREPARATION CHECKLIST

INTERIOR ITEMS

Required precautions for INSIDE your home.

  • Drip faucets. This can prevent frozen and burst pipes if you turn on the correct faucets before or soon after the temperature drops. Ideally, you want to drip your faucets before the cold strikes, or within the first two hours.

  • Open your kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to surround your pipes and plumbing. Just remember to place any toxic chemicals and cleaners that are down there out of reach of children and pets.

  • Maintain interior temperatures. Keep your home's temperature at 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, even if you’re not at home.

  • Check your HVAC system. Replace your furnace filter and check your heating system is ready to go before you need it.

EXTERIOR ITEMS

Required precautions for OUTSIDE your home.

  • Drain the water from outdoor sprinkler systems and garden hoses.

  • Walk the perimeter of your home and close off any other vents that you might have opened during the warmer weather.

  • Disconnect garden hoses from faucets and store them in a garage or shed.

  • Cover the faucets and spigots.

  • Insulate indoor and outdoor water supply lines and pipes, especially in unheated areas such as the basement, attic, crawl spaces, and garage.

  • Fix or cover any broken windows, so that cold air can’t get into a room and freeze pipes, particularly in the basement.

We Are Here For You

If a pipe does happen to break in the home:

  • FIRST, shut off water to the home immediately!

  • Then, contact our repairs line at (239) 946-5172.

    • Provide detailed descriptions and photos of the issue if possible for more immediate service.

  • Lastly, contact your renter’s insurance company. They may be able to provide temporary housing assistance or if there is damage to your personal belongings, they will walk you through the claims process.

Additional Online Resources

Need a few more tips, tricks, and instructions? View some additional resources to help you prepare.