Sprinkler systems should be winterized in the fall— they must be drained and turned off before the first deep freeze hits. And once spring comes round, sprinkler systems will have to undergo some tests to check for damage, and then turned on after all the essential maintenance or repairs have been completed.
But who is responsible to carry out these repair and maintenance tasks? That is conditioned upon what terms are included in your lease. There are landlords that are convinced that having tenants do routine sprinkler system maintenance and turning them on or off every season is the appropriate policy. Others, on the other hand, may want a supervisory body for more oversight since something as small as a broken sprinkler pipe can quickly lead to extensive property damage; and a sprinkler system that doesn’t function makes it very difficult for the renter to maintain a healthy lawn or landscape features week after week.
Even though some tenants may be competent enough to handle basic sprinkler system maintenance and even a number of repairs, allowing them to do it is still laying it on the line. If your renters overlook to winterize the system, you might have a flooded disaster on your hands after a while. Or, if they aren’t competent enough to fix a broken pipe or sprinkler head, they may leave lawns or trees to die.
If you’d rather not be doing the sprinkler system maintenance and repair yourself, your safest choice is to bring in a professional landscape company to carry it out for you. If you get professionals, then you can be confident that the job gets accomplished and gets accomplished correctly each year. Unfortunately, there are landscape companies that don’t give quality service. You will find that you won’t really be getting the savings that you thought you would get since the costs can sneak up on you and add up quickly.
At Real Property Management Southeast Idaho, we have trusted professionals and preferred vendors included in our team to address sprinkler system maintenance and repair issues. We handle all the details. We coordinate with your tenants and the landscaping company to come up with the best schedule for sprinkler turn-on and off, systematic maintenance, and any crucial repairs. Would you like to know more about how we can support you? Please contact us online or give us a call at 208-522-2400 for more information.