Preparing Your Vacation Rental for Winter

You’ve buttoned up your summer vacation rental—or so you thought—only to get a call from neighbors about water seeping under your front door! When frozen pipes thaw, flooding can cause serious structural damage and mold problems. Here’s how to protect your home in the off-season.

Interior Maintenance

• Clean thoroughly: Dust and vacuum all surfaces, behind and under furniture, and under seat cushions.
• Look up: Remove cobwebs from corners, light fixtures, ceiling fans, and bathroom vents.
• Wash surfaces: Clean woodwork, doors, frames, window trim, sills, baseboards, stair risers, and slider tracks.
• Walls: Wash walls, especially in hallways and stairwells (Magic Erasers work well for marks and stains).
• Soft furnishings: Dry clean draperies, wash curtains, steam or spot clean carpets and rugs.
• Bedding and linens: Launder comforters, mattress covers, linens, pillowcases, blankets, and throws.

Exterior Maintenance

• Clean gutters and rake leaves from the lawn.
• Reseed bare spots—fall is the best time for this.
• Prune trees and bushes.
• Drain and store garden hoses.
• Clean patio, deck, and porch furniture.
• Drain outside showers and spigots.
• Wash out trash barrels and clean the grill.

For Three-Season Homes

• If turning off heat for winter, drain pipes to prevent freezing—ideally done by a plumber.
• Empty the refrigerator, turn it off, and prop the door open.
• Remove perishables such as sugar, flour, and rice.
• Store candles and bar soaps safely to avoid mice.
• Place ant traps as needed.

For Year-Round Homes

• Keep the thermostat at 55° minimum when away.
• Ensure pipes, especially in crawl spaces and exterior walls, are properly insulated.
• Consider heat tape or thermostatically controlled heat cables for added protection.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks near exterior walls to allow heat circulation.

In Case of Power Loss

• Power outages are common on the Cape and Islands.
• If heat depends on electricity, consider a monitoring program through your fuel company—heat sensors alert them if temperatures drop.

Added Protection

• Smart devices: Monitor lighting, thermostats, and security systems remotely. Some devices, like Minut, can monitor sound levels.
• Caretaker or home watch: Hire a service to regularly check your home, especially during cold spells. See our Home Services Directory for options.

Be Energy Efficient

• Take advantage of the Mass Save Home Energy Assessment program for energy upgrades, rebates, and interest-free loans.
• Schedule a free home energy assessment online with Cape Light Compact or call 1-800-797-6699.

The off-season is the perfect time to upgrade your vacation rental—boost appeal and comfort with these smart improvements!