Before the First Freeze: 10 Winter 2026 Pro Tips for Multifamily Owners
If the power went out tonight, could you find your building's electrical panel in the dark? How about the main water shutoff?
Dexter's father could. He ran his 12 unit building for 35 years and knew every valve by feel. When Dexter inherited it, he got the keys. He didn't get the knowledge.
In Massachusetts, heating season is already here. It started September 15. The tips below come from the preventive maintenance checklist our team uses on the buildings we manage.
1. Know the heat rule
From September 15 through May 31, state law requires at least 68 degrees during the day and 64 at night. Local boards of health can adjust the dates, so check your city's website.
2. Service the heating system now
Change filters and skip the cheap ones, because they don't protect your equipment. On steam or hot water systems, check the low water cutoff and feeders before the first cold snap.
3. Test every smoke and CO detector
If one beeps, replace all the batteries. They were installed together, so they'll fail together.
4. Reset timers before the clocks change
Daylight saving time ends November 1. Digital timers adjust on their own. Mechanical ones need you.
5. Walk the exterior after dark
Check post lights, signage, and walkways in the evening, when tenants actually use them. Replace common area bulbs with the same color temperature so halls look consistent.
6. Find and label your shutoffs
Paint in ground gas valves yellow and water valves blue, then give each an eighth of a turn so it won't seize. State Farm reports its average frozen pipe and winter water damage claim tops $30,000. Every minute you spend searching for a valve adds to that bill.
7. Disconnect every hose
Close the interior valves that feed outside spigots and tag them clearly.
8. Look for daylight around doors
If you can see light around a closed door, you're paying to heat the sidewalk. A hair dryer can reshape tired vinyl weather stripping. Lubricate locks with graphite or silicone, never a general purpose spray.
9. Clear gutters and patch asphalt
Water should never pool at the foundation. Seal pavement cracks with cold patch before freeze and thaw cycles widen them.
10. Stock ice melt early
Keep it where tenants can reach it, and keep exits and egress windows clear. Be cautiously generous. Ice melt is cheaper than a lawsuit.
Buildings rarely fail all at once. They fail a little at a time as deferred maintenance piles up. Give us a shout if you want to talk through how to protect your property or if you want it taken care of by us entirely.