If you’re renting to students or your tenants are away over Christmas, you might be expecting an empty rental property.
To keep your property safe and in good shape over Christmas, check out our handy guide.
Is my property at risk over Christmas?
During the festive period, thieves know that some rental properties will be empty – especially student rentals.
Most students head home for Christmas, while other tenants might stay with family or even take a trip overseas.
Darker nights also mean criminals have the cover of darkness to sneak into homes. That’s one of the reasons burglaries often spike in winter.
How to keep your unoccupied rental properties safe from thieves
Luckily, there’s plenty you can do to look after your rental properties while they’re empty.
Talk to your tenants
Before your tenants head off for the holidays, you should:
let them know to take any valuable items with them if they can, including expensive gadgets and jewellery
ask them to make sure all the windows are closed and doors are locked before they leave
if your property has a burglar alarm, ask them to make sure it’s turned on before they go
Think about security
If your property is currently just relying on a locked door for security, you might want to think about taking things up a notch.
Nowadays, there’s plenty on offer to help with home security, including:
- burglar alarms
- smart doorbells
- motion sensors
- CCTV
It doesn’t hurt to have an extra layer of security protecting your rental properties, especially if they’re empty.
Check on your rentals
Make sure you check on your empty rental properties every few days to check that no break-ins have happened and there aren’t any other issues.
If you want to actually go inside the property to check on things, make sure you get your tenant’s permission first. Check your tenancy agreement to make sure you’re giving them enough notice.
It’s also a good idea to pick up any parcels left outside and give them to the tenants when they get back. Leaving them outside could attract thieves!
Don’t forget to get your tenants’ go-ahead first if you want to collect any parcels until they get back.
Keeping your rentals in good shape over winter
In the UK, winter can come with some nasty weather and freezing temperatures.
To keep your rental properties safe, you should:
- check your roof for damage, like cracked tiles, to catch issues early
- keep an eye on the weather forecast and warnings
- check your boiler regularly and have it serviced every year
- bleed your radiators to improve heating
- try to keep the boiler on low heat – even when it’s not needed – to stop your pipes from freezing
- insulate any outdoor pipes (including in outbuildings like sheds and in your attics or basement) to stop them freezing
- keep your gutters clean - clogged gutters can lead to leaks and pests
- For a full guide, check out our winter landlord maintenance checklist.
How to keep your unoccupied rental properties safe from fire
Thieves aren’t the only thing to be wary of with empty rentals. It’s also important to keep your properties safe from fire while they’re not occupied.
Check your smoke alarms
Your smoke alarms are the one thing that’ll alert you to a fire while your rental properties are empty.
With no one there to notice a fire before it gets out of hand, you need to make sure they’re working properly.
Test your alarms and quickly replace them if they’re broken. Remember, they might just need a new battery.
We’ve got a useful guide on fire assessments for landlords if you want a full breakdown.
Talk to your tenants
Tell your tenants to turn off anything that doesn’t need to stay on while they’re away.
That includes computers, TVs, lights and appliances like hair straighteners or chargers.
If they’ve decorated for the holidays, tell them to turn off all Christmas lights, both indoor and outdoor.
You can also tell tenants to make sure candles are blown out before leaving.
My property’s been broken into. What do I do?
If your property has been broken into, call the police straight away. You should also tell your tenants if they’re still away.
Don’t go inside in case there’s smashed glass or other dangerous debris lying around.
Keep yourself safe and steer clear until the police arrive.
Don’t forget, you’ll likely need the Police Crime Reference Number (PCRN) if you want to make a claim.
Do I need to insure my empty properties?
If you’ve got landlord insurance, your rental properties should still be covered even if they’re empty for a short time – typically up to 30 days.
Many insurers cover empty homes for 30–60 days as standard, but it’s important to check your policy. This is to make sure you know about any other conditions or limits about your cover because of the unoccupancy.
If your property will be empty for a month or more, speak to your insurer so you don’t risk being uninsured.
Check out our guide on unoccupied landlord insurance to learn more.
