4 Tips for Fireplace Maintenance in Rental Properties
Add more charm and warmth to your rental apartment by setting up your fireplace. As long as you don’t have carpet flooring, a well-kept fireplace is an excellent way to keep your tenants, especially with the festive season around the corner. However, it also requires a lot of work, and without proper maintenance, it can quickly take your house from cozy to ashy and dirty. That’s why we’ve put together 4 tips to help you get the most out of your fireplace. Also, continue reading around till the end to find out some important details you should consider adding to your lease:
4 Tips for Fireplace Maintenance in Rental Properties
-
Conduct an Annual Chimney Inspection
Keep the exit for the smoke your fireplace emits clear all year round by conducting an annual chimney inspection. Aside from ensuring that Santa has a safe space to crawl through, a chimney inspection can help you spot potential hazards like a creosote buildup. This tar-like substance is extremely flammable, but unavoidable because it's one of the bi-products of burning wood. In other words, if you don’t clean it out regularly, the creosote buildup could start a chimney fire or prevent toxic gas like carbon monoxide from escaping.
-
Clean the Fireplace Regularly
Arrange for professional cleaners to wipe down your chimney regularly, especially during winter when it sees a lot of use. Experts recommend opting for weekly cleanings during frequent use, but if you only use your fireplace occasionally, then a monthly sweep should do. It’s essential to clarify who is responsible for the task, to ensure it actually gets done. Open communication is important for landlords and tenants when preparing for emergencies, and while fireplace maintenance may not constitute an immediate emergency, poor upkeep could easily become a health hazard.
-
Use the Right Wood
Be particular about the kind of wood you burn in your fireplace. Instead of settling for the cheapest log you find, opt for dry seasoned wood like oak or maple. These hardwoods contain less moisture, burn more efficiently, and produce less creosote residue. On the other hand, softwoods like pine and fir create way more smoke and creosote, which can make cleaning more tedious. How you store your firewood is also important, so keep it in a well-ventilated area that’s free of dampness and moisture.
-
Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Prioritize having safety features that can alert you when something goes wrong. Aside from keeping your property safe, it also ensures you don’t compromise your tenants’ health. Carbon monoxide is a deadly odorless and tasteless gas, and without the right sensors in place, you could poison your renters’ airways and put them at risk of developing respiratory diseases or even death. That’s why it’s not enough to buy the right type of wood or clean your chimney regularly, you still need to install functional fire and carbon monoxide detectors.
Important Details to Add in your Lease About Fireplace Maintenance
-
Outline Responsibilities
Specify whether your tenants are responsible for cleaning the fireplace in your rental agreement. It would be best to ensure everyone is on the same page from the start, so if you expect your renters to schedule and complete routine cleaning, let them know from the start. You should also highlight the frequency of cleaning and products they should use. Otherwise, if you’re taking on the role yourself, simply give them a heads-up on how often to expect a cleaner. Also, provide clear instructions on how they can report issues with the fireplace immediately. You can even give them a list of things to look out for such as unusual odors, smoke issues, or visible damage.
-
Clarify Restrictions on Usage
Encourage tenants with fireplaces to practice fire prevention. Beyond clarifying who does the cleaning or pays for damages, it would help if you highlighted when and how your renters can use the fireplace. Don’t assume that everyone knows the basics, or that they’ll even be willing to Google it. Instead, take their education into your own hands by sharing information on what type of wood to use, reminders to check the batteries in the carbon monoxide detectors, and including emergency contact for your local fire department.
Conclusion
Keep your rental property warm and cozy by taking good care of your fireplace. With winter around the corner, tenants are more likely to want to curl up beside a hearty fire, especially with the festive season around the corner. That means there’s no better time than now to conduct your annual chimney inspection and remember to schedule routine cleaning while you’re at it. Using the right wood and installing carbon monoxide sensors can also go a long way in ensuring your tenants’ safety. Also, it would be a good idea to outline tenant and landlord responsibilities in your lease and clarify any restrictions on usage, so everyone plays their part in maintaining the fireplace.
partnered post • image by Midjourney