As a landlord, you know you are responsible for the upkeep of your building and all of the units within it. But there's one area of a building that even the most seasoned landlord can sometimes overlook, and that's the roof. What's going on up at the top of your building can sometimes be out of sight, out of mind, but regular maintenance and care is key if you want to avoid significant issues. Here are some apartment roofing tips and guidelines that every landlord should follow or put in place.
Don't Let Your Tenants Install Anything on the Roof
The apartment market can be competitive, and well-qualified renters may be looking for additional perks before they pick a place to call home. Today, some landlords are allowing their tenants to install satellite dishes on the roof or even to make other additions. But anytime a new installation occurs on your roof, the potential for trouble increases. A satellite dish installation could lead to future issues with your roof flashing, which will eventually result in a leak if it's not taken care of. Stick to your guns as a landlord and enact a policy that says no one is allowed to install anything on the roof of your complex.
Check for Debris After Every Storm
A regular inspection from a professional roofer can go a long way towards keeping your roof in good condition, but you should personally take a peek at what is going on up there a bit more often than once per season. If a large storm rolls through your neck of the woods, get up there to take a look around once Mother Nature calms down. Allowing debris to linger on your roof is how leaks can and will happen. Your tenants will obviously be upset if any water gets into their apartment, and they'll likely be even more upset if it's clear that the leak is happening due to a surplus of roof debris that the landlord failed to take care of.
The Roof Is Not a Gathering Spot
If your apartment complex has a flat roof, some of your tenants may take this as an invitation to get together for an elevated look at the city or town below. Some landlords even intentionally turn their flat roof into a patio-like environment complete with furniture. But the more often you have people moving around on the roof, the more likely it is that you will run into a problem at some point. Tell people to party in the common room if they want but to stay off the top of your building.
When you develop a roof leak, you don't have time to ignore it. Issues with leaks can cause problems as simple as incoming water and as wide-ranging as mold accumulation inside your home, which is why you should never let an issue sit. However, if you aren't careful, you could develop problems with roofing that is simply open to the elements, allowing rain and snow to enter your home, melt, and contribute to problems like mold growth. On this blog, you can learn more about the kinds of roofing issues that you could be faced with, and what to do about them.