A preventive maintenance calendar for rental properties, month by month

Most expensive repairs in rental property start small. A clogged gutter becomes a wet basement. A dryer vent full of lint becomes a fire risk. A water heater that is never flushed fails years early. Preventive maintenance is the habit of catching those problems while they are still cheap.

This guide gives you a month by month calendar you can adapt, explains who should do each task, and shows how to turn the list into a system that runs without you remembering it.

Why a calendar beats good intentions

Without a schedule, preventive work gets done when someone has time, which in practice means after something breaks. A calendar does three things:

• Spreads the work out, so one month is not crushed with everything.
• Bundles tasks by visit, so one trip and one entry notice cover several items.
• Creates a record, which helps with warranties, insurance claims and planning capital spending.

It also improves tenant relationships. Tenants notice when a technician arrives to check the furnace before winter instead of after it fails.

Who does what

Before building the calendar, decide in the lease which tasks belong to whom.

Typically the tenant	Typically the landlord or a vendor
Replace light bulbs	HVAC service and repairs
Keep drains clear of grease and hair	Water heater maintenance
Test smoke and CO alarms and report problems	Roof, gutters and exterior
Replace HVAC filters if the lease says so and you supply them	Electrical, plumbing and gas work
Report leaks and damage promptly	Pest control beyond minor issues
Basic yard care in single family homes, if agreed	Tree work and major landscaping

Anything involving gas, electrical panels, roofs, structural elements or specialized equipment should stay with you or a licensed vendor regardless of the lease.

Monthly tasks

• Check vacant units. Run water, flush toilets, look for leaks and pests, and confirm the heat is on in cold months.
• Walk common areas. Lighting, handrails, trip hazards, fire extinguishers visible and charged, exit signs lit.
• Review open work orders. Anything aging past your target response time needs attention. Our work order process guide covers priority levels.

Quarterly tasks

• HVAC filters, unless tenants change them.
• Test smoke and CO alarms in common areas, and confirm tenants are testing in units. See our guide to smoke and CO alarms.
• Pest control in multifamily buildings, often quarterly with service in between as needed.
• Look under sinks and around toilets for slow leaks during any visit to the unit.
• Check exterior lighting and timers, which drift with the seasons.

Spring

• Clean gutters and downspouts after spring storms and confirm water drains away from the foundation.
• Inspect the roof for missing shingles, flashing damage and debris. A pair of binoculars from the ground is a good first look; leave climbing to a roofer.
• Service air conditioning before the first hot week: clean coils, check refrigerant, clear the condensate line.
• Check the exterior for peeling paint, cracked siding, failed caulk around windows and doors, and damaged screens.
• Test sump pumps by pouring water into the pit.
• Inspect irrigation and turn it back on, checking for broken heads.

Summer

• Trim trees and shrubs away from the roof, siding and HVAC units.
• Check decks, balconies and railings for loose boards, rot and wobbly posts.
• Seal driveways and repair paving in multifamily lots if needed.
• Inspect for pests that peak in warm months, such as ants and wasps.
• Look at attic ventilation and signs of moisture in hot, humid climates. Our mold and moisture guide explains what to look for.

Fall

• Service the heating system before the first cold night: furnace inspection, heat exchanger check, boiler service.
• Clean gutters again after the leaves fall.
• Winterize in cold climates: shut off and drain exterior hose bibs, blow out irrigation lines, insulate exposed pipes.
• Check weatherstripping and door sweeps.
• Clean chimneys and flues where fireplaces or fuel burning appliances are used.
• Remind tenants about cold weather steps such as keeping heat at a minimum temperature when away.

Winter

• Snow and ice plan. Confirm who clears walks and lots, and that vendors are under contract before the first storm.
• Check for ice dams and roof leaks after heavy snow.
• Watch vacant units for frozen pipes.
• Plan next year’s projects using the records from this year.

Annual tasks

• Flush water heaters to remove sediment, and test the pressure relief valve. Note the unit’s age.
• Clean dryer vents from the dryer to the outside termination.
• Inspect fire extinguishers and have them serviced as required.
• Check smoke and CO alarm dates and replace units nearing the end of their life.
• Run a routine inspection of each occupied unit with notice. Our inspection photo guide covers technique.
• Review vendor insurance and licenses. See our vendor management guide.

For apartment buildings, our apartment maintenance checklist breaks these into a printable list.

Turning the calendar into a system

A calendar on paper helps. A calendar that creates tasks automatically is better.

1. List every recurring task with its frequency and the properties it applies to.
2. Assign an owner for each: in house staff, a specific vendor, or the tenant.
3. Set a due date pattern, such as the first week of April and October for HVAC service.
4. Bundle by visit. One spring visit can cover AC service, filter change and a look under the sinks.
5. Send entry notice with the visit date in advance, following your state’s rules.
6. Record completion with a note and photos.

In TenantLoop, make each task a recurring work order. You set how often it repeats, and each new one appears on the list with its own due date and assignee. Work orders can belong to a whole property, so roofs, lobbies and parking lots get the same tracking as units. Vendors accept the job, confirm a visit time and upload the invoice from a private link without creating a login. See work orders, and workflows if you want reminders sent automatically when a task is created or its status changes.

Worked example: a fourplex schedule

A fourplex with a shared roof, four furnaces and four water heaters might run like this:

Month	Visit	Tasks
January	In house	Vacant unit checks, ice dam check
March	HVAC vendor	Filters, AC service in all four units
April	Handyman	Gutters, exterior caulk, sump pump test, smoke alarm reminder to tenants
June	Handyman	Deck and railing check, tree trimming
September	HVAC vendor	Filters, furnace service, CO alarm check
October	Handyman	Gutters, hose bibs, weatherstripping
November	Plumber	Water heater flush and relief valve test
December	In house	Dryer vents, extinguisher check, next year plan

That is eight planned visits, each covering several tasks, with four entry notices per unit per year instead of a dozen.

Budgeting

Track what preventive work actually costs by property. After a year, you will know your real numbers. Separate routine maintenance from capital replacements such as a new roof or furnace, which are treated differently for taxes. Our post on repairs versus capital improvements explains the difference.

Common mistakes

• No written split of tenant and landlord tasks
• Waiting until the first cold night to service heat
• Visiting four times for four tasks instead of once for all of them
• Skipping entry notice for routine visits
• Not recording what was done, so the next person repeats it or misses it

Entry notice periods, alarm requirements and habitability standards vary by state and city. This post is general information. Check your state and local law and your equipment manufacturers’ recommendations when you set your schedule.