5 Roof Maintenance Tips for Portland Rental Property Owners
Are you searching for roof maintenance tips for your Portland OR rental property? If so, you’ve come to the right place!
Roof maintenance is important for every Portland Oregon rental property because, within the next 30 days, the weather is going to change, and we’re going to have a couple of months of rain followed by snow and ice during the winter.
Thankfully, every rental property owner can get their properties ready for the fall and winter months now by following these simple tips.
Tip #1 – Create A Roof Maintenance Plan
One of the first things that you should do if you’re concerned about the roof on your Portland Oregon rental property is to create a roof maintenance plan now.
This plan should include a contractor or maintenance professional that you could call if your roof needs emergency maintenance or repairs.
Thankfully, there are dozens of great roofing contractors in the Portland area that you could turn to for roof maintenance at a moment’s notice.
During the process of searching for a roofing contractor online, it’s best to thoroughly research their profiles and read what their customers are saying about them because websites like Google My Business give customers the ability to leave reviews of businesses, and those reviews can prove invaluable to anyone who is looking for that service.
When considering a roofing contractor for your vendor matrix, you should only be looking at contractors that are licensed, bonded, and insured.
This will give you peace of mind in knowing that should you need to utilize their services at a moment’s notice, you can have confidence that they are thoroughly insured and can provide you with the excellent service that you need to get your roof repaired, especially during the fall and winter months.
Tip #2 – Take Quarterly Photos of Your Rental Property Roof
After connecting with a roofing contractor, or maintenance professional, that you can call when your roof needs maintenance or repair, the next thing to do is to start taking quarterly photos of your rental property’s roof.
Quarterly photos are important because this will give you the ability to compare the most recent photos of the roof on your rental property against previous photos so that you could see if there had been any major changes to the condition of the roof on your rental property within the last several months.
Tip #3 – Get Your Tenant Involved
Since the roof on your Portland Oregon rental property can literally cost thousands of dollars to repair, it’s important to also get your tenants involved and encourage them to report leaks or possible damage to you immediately if they see that those problems occur.
Letting your tenants know that you are open and accessible to their calls is important because, tenants usually spot problems in a rental property before anyone else, and those calls could literally save you thousands of dollars in maintenance and repairs.
Tip #4 – Check for Moss Growth
Besides getting your tenant involved, another important thing that you can do to keep the roof on your Portland OR rental property in excellent shape is to periodically check it for moss or algae growth.
Moss and algae growth are not uncommon on roofs across homes within the Portland OR area, especially since the Pacific Northwest is prone to a higher amount of moisture during the fall and winter months compared to other parts of the United States.
Eliminating moss or algae growth on a roof immediately is important simply because that growth can weaken the structural integrity of the roof and lead to possible leakage.
Tip #5 – Check from The Ground
If you’re not a fan of climbing ladders and inspecting roofs yourself, another important thing that you can do to periodically check up on the condition of your rental property’s roof is to inspect it from the ground.
From any vantage point on the ground, you can visibly inspect the condition of the roof on your rental property and confirm if there are any problem areas that need to be addressed.
Besides climbing ladders to get onto the roofs of their rental properties, landlords can also utilize drone technology to fly over the roof on their Portland Oregon rental property to take pictures and video from the air.
In the 2020s, the average drone costs less than $200 and can be a valuable resource for any landlord that needs to have aerial pictures or video but doesn’t want to pay a third-party company to take those pictures or video themselves.
Checking the exterior condition of the rental property is import part of roof maintenance but, it’s also important to inspect the insulation inside your rental property at least once a year, especially since this is also an effective way to verify that no unwanted creatures are living in the rental property attic space or roof.
Some additional things that you can do for your roof include:
Trim Branches Around Your Roof
Are there trees and branches in close proximity to your home? If so, the smartest thing would be to simply trim them on a regular basis, if you can. The reason is very simple. Due to storms and harsh winds, they can end up flying freely and damage your roof. So, if you feel like the branches are dangerously close to your home, they most likely are!
Get Rid of Leaves and Debris on Your Roof
Why is this step so important? Because by removing the debris, you are keeping your property protected from likely damage, and at the same time, preventing the appearance of moss. This way, you will also preserve the integrity of your roof and prevent potential structural damage.
Proper Ventilation Makes All the Difference
Simply put – your roof needs to breathe. If you don’t ensure proper ventilation, you can count on heat and moisture wreaking havoc on your roofing system and decreasing the effectiveness of your insulation. The good thing is you can easily prevent this from happening by installing quality insulation that will keep your roof in fully functioning shape.
Keep Your Gutters in Check
As we’ve just mentioned, gutters play a big role in keeping your home safe and protected. They effectively divert water (and debris) away from the roof, but only when they’re in top condition. So, if it’s been a while since you’ve checked your gutters, it might be smart to do it now. That way, you’ll make sure nothing is blocking the water flow and minimize the risk of leaks.
Contact Us
At Rent Portland Homes – Professionals, we specialize in local property management for single-family and multifamily rental properties in the Portland area.
Our team saves owners the time, money, and hassle of having to manage their rental properties themselves so that they can focus on enjoying the passive income that comes from owning rental properties.
We can offer you a full suite of property management services ranging from maintenance, rent collection, tenant placement, and customer service to collections and accounting.
The Rent Portland Homes – Professionals team puts the P back in passive income. This means that you can start enjoying the income from your property once again without having your rental property become a second or a third job for you.
If you are a tired owner who is currently managing your rental properties yourself, or you’ve just invested in a rental property for the first time, we invite you to contact us today for a property management quote by calling (503) 447-7735 or click here to connect with us online
