‘Tis the season, and hopefully, you all are planning to fly to your hometown to celebrate the holidays. You need to know quite a few things while planning your holiday season away from your rental home to avoid any inconvenience after you come back. Your preparations might be seasonal, depending on what kind of weather it is around. Let’s say you live or are looking for a suitable room for rent in Jersey City, where the temperature can reach almost 24 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter months. It isn’t even the coldest state in America but you would still need to prepare accordingly! From moderately cold to freezing temperatures, preparation is key! And if you’re clueless as to what your next step should be, it’s your lucky day!
Here a few things to do before leaving your rental home during the holiday season.
- Tell your landlord
- Maintain the temperature
- Put your mail on hold.
- Have some to check on your rental
- Ditch the tree
- Renew the lease and make your payments
- Unplug the electronics
- Arrange for pet-care
- Don’t forget your renter’s insurance.
- Get rid of the garbage.
Table of Contents
Tell your landlord
To ensure the security of your rental, you need to inform your landlord in advance of your departure. This would be a heads-up to the landlord in case of any emergency.
Maintain the temperature
Don’t switch off the heater when you are away. As we discussed earlier, places like New Jersey can get quite icy during the holiday season, and not having any heater would freeze the pipes and may lead to a burst. In case you live in a room rental in New Jersey, New York, Montana, or any such cold place, make sure that the temperature doesn’t fall below 65 degrees. Leaving the heater on for a few extra hours will cost you a minimal amount but coming home to an icy surprise is always unpleasant!
Put your mail on hold.
 
While you are out celebrating the holidays, your rental home is empty and filled up mailboxes give the stalkers the green light that nobody is in the house. They can easily break into the house and rob you. Putting your mail on hold would create an illusion that someone is in the house, and mail is regularly checked. Clever, right!!
Have some to check on your rental
One of the mistakes most people commit is that they don’t employ someone to check on their place every now and then. Having someone to visit your place is a trick to ensure the security of the house. They can switch on the Christmas lights in your absence and keep a check that all the doors and windows are secured. You may even schedule the Christmas lights with software and timer. Remember Home Alone!
Ditch the tree
Each year the Fire Department deals with more than a hundred holiday fires caused by the Christmas tree. Leaving the lights on your Christmas tree just to create an illusion for security can be a lot risky as they might catch fire. You don’t want to come back home to a flaming Christmas tree. You can ditch the tree when you are away.
Related Article: Vivint Security
Renew the lease and make your payments
In case your lease is about to expire, it is best to get it renewed before you go. It would make your life comfortable after you come back and still have a lease. You may also want to get done with all the dues and pay the monthly expenses beforehand. This way, you don’t have to worry about the dues. Pay the rent before you go, and you would only return after the holiday season.
Unplug the electronics
You can’t predict what happens when you are off to the holidays. It is best to unplug all the electronics like the toaster, coffee maker, or television to avoid any short circuits. Additionally, in case of any blizzard or thunderstorm, your rental would be safe.
Arrange for pet-care
You can’t afford to forge this. Your pets can’t travel with you, and you can’t leave them alone in the rental. You may ask a friend in the city to after it or arrange a pet sitter. You may also look for a pet-care center nearby and drop them there. Don’t forget to wish them the holidays and their treats.
Don’t forget your renter’s insurance.
Make sure that your renters’ insurance is in force. It would help you claim the policy in case someone breaks into your place while you are away. Renters’ insurance policy costs way less and covers a lot of the materials such as the items of furniture, computer, and valuable. You may want to get one before you leave. It is best to be safe than sorry. You may even choose to take your valuables with you if you can.
Get rid of the garbage.
Leaving the garbage in your units or anywhere near it would be a horrible idea as you would come home to a rotting smell. It would help if you got rid of all the garbage before your departure or have someone take it out for you in your absence. You may also consider the same for the perishable items in your fridge, don’t leave them to rot in there. You may get rid of the leftovers and drop off the fresh veggies to a neighbor or a friend to use them.
These tips and tricks would make your rental home safe, and your holidays tension free. Also, ensure that you don’t leave outdoor furniture out in the open if you live in a room rental in New Jersey or Seattle, where winters can be rainy.
Happy Holidays!
