Sam Scott – Head of Advice
Leaving Your Rented Property Over Christmas
1) Keep your heating on.
It can be tempting to save money and turn off your heating if the property is empty but you must keep it on to ensure the pipes don’t burst and you don’t develop mould.
As an example, The Advice Centre once had a group of 5 students each being charged £20,000 for a pipe that had burst and flooded their house while they were away at Christmas. They had tried to save money by turning the heating off.
2) Tell your landlord.
If the property will be empty, let your agency or landlord know that it will be empty and for how long. They may check on the property to make sure there are no floods or break-ins while you are away.
3) Lock all windows and doors.
Make sure all the windows and doors are locked before you leave. This will make it harder for would-be burglars to enter. If the property isn’t correctly secured and you are the victim of a burglary, your insurance won’t cover any loss and you may be asked to pay for any damage.
4) Empty bins and remove old food
To keep pests at bay, make sure to remove any old food or produce that will become out of date while you are away and empty bins that may be full.
5) Leave the property clean.
Give the property a once over and make sure it is clean. It will keep pests away and it will be nicer when you return.
6) Turn off plugs and lights.
You don’t want a fire while you are enjoying your break and neither do you want to be wasting money unnecessarily.
Turn off any plugs not in use and make sure lights are off too.