Vacant unit winter checklist

• Leave the heat on and set to a minimum temperature, never off, for any period through the heating season.
• Shut off water to any fixture that will not be used, where the layout allows it without affecting other units.
• Check for any known freeze risk area: an exterior wall pipe run, an unheated room, a garage with plumbing.
• Confirm windows and doors close and lock properly.

• Check on a set interval through the winter months, more often in an older building or a unit with a known freeze history.
• On each visit: confirm heat is running, check under sinks and around the water heater for any sign of a leak, and confirm no window has been left open.
• Log the date and what was checked, so a gap in the record is visible.

• A frozen or burst pipe is treated as an emergency call, not a routine one.
• A dropped thermostat or a failed heating system in a vacant unit still needs a same day response in freezing weather.

• Run the heating and cooling systems and confirm both work before move-in day.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries.
• Complete the move-in inspection record before handing over the keys.

See HVAC, heating and cooling and the Toronto rental maintenance calendar.