Heat: boiler and furnace service
Book this in September or early October, before every HVAC contractor in the city is booked out.
- Have a licensed tech service each boiler or furnace: clean burners, check the flue and draft, and test safety controls, including the low-water cutoff on steam boilers (and on hot water boilers that have one).
- Steam systems: check the sight glass, flush the low-water cutoff, and make sure radiator vents aren't stuck closed or spitting.
- Hot water systems: bleed air from radiators and baseboard, check system pressure and the expansion tank.
- Forced air: put in new filters and keep a spare case on site for mid-season changes.
- Check the thermostats in each unit and in common areas, and replace weak batteries.
- Write down the boiler make, model and age, plus the name of the tech you'll call when the heat goes out at 2 a.m.
- Know the City of Chicago heat rule (Municipal Code 14X-8-802.2.2). From Sept 15 to June 1, apartments heated from a shared heating plant must reach at least 68°F from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 66°F overnight. Check the current code for your building.
Frozen pipe prevention
Burst pipes are the most expensive winter call we see on older South Side buildings.
- Find every pipe that runs along an exterior wall, crawlspace, unheated basement, or rear porch enclosure, and insulate it.
- Shut off and drain hose bibs from the inside, and disconnect garden hoses.
- Make sure basement windows close and broken panes are replaced. One open basement window can freeze a supply line.
- Show the main water shutoff to anyone who might need it, and tag it so it's easy to find.
- On the coldest nights, tell residents to open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls and let a faucet drip.
- Consider heat tape on known trouble spots, installed to the manufacturer's directions.
Vacant units: keep the heat on
An empty unit with the heat off can damage the units around it, not just itself.
- Keep the heat on in vacant units at a low, steady setting. Don't shut it off to save on the gas bill.
- Keep utilities in the owner's name between leases so nothing is shut off by accident.
- Walk vacant units on a set schedule during cold snaps: check the thermostat, look under sinks, listen for running water.
- If a unit will sit empty a long time, talk to a plumber about winterizing it (draining lines and adding antifreeze to traps), and check what your insurance policy requires for vacant units.
Snow and ice removal
Decide who does what before the first snowfall, not during it.
- Put snow and ice duties in writing: owner, contractor, or resident. Be clear about who handles sidewalks, front and back stairs, porches and the gangway.
- Putting shoveling in a lease doesn't take it off the owner. Under Chicago's sidewalk rule, the owner is still responsible if it isn't done.
- Line up a snow contractor or a reliable handyman now, and agree on when they come out (for example, after a set amount of snowfall).
- Stock ice melt that's safe for concrete, plus shovels, and store them where they're easy to reach.
- Chicago requires a cleared path at least 5 feet wide on public sidewalks next to your property, including curb ramps (Municipal Code 10-8-180). Snow that falls between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. must be cleared by 10 p.m., and overnight snow by 10 a.m. the next morning.
Gutters, downspouts and roof
Clogged gutters lead to ice dams, and ice dams lead to ceiling leaks.
- Clean gutters and downspouts after the leaves drop.
- Make sure downspouts carry water away from the foundation and walkways so it doesn't pool and refreeze.
- Look for loose flashing, missing shingles, worn spots on flat roofs, and blocked roof drains or scuppers.
- Check parapet walls and chimneys for loose brick or failing mortar. Tuckpointing is easier to schedule before winter than after a leak.
Windows, doors and weatherstripping
Drafts cost residents comfort and cost owners heat.
- Replace worn weatherstripping and door sweeps on entry doors, back doors and basement doors.
- Caulk gaps around window frames and where pipes and wires go through exterior walls.
- Fix broken sash cords, cracked panes and storm windows that won't latch.
- Make sure common-area doors close and latch on their own so the hallway heat stays inside.
- Common hallways and stairs need heat too. Keep them warm enough that pipes and residents are protected, and check the City code for current requirements.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Furnaces, boilers and space heaters all run harder in winter.
- Test every smoke and CO alarm in each unit and in common areas. Replace any past its date with a 10-year sealed-battery unit, as Illinois requires for battery-powered smoke alarms.
- Illinois requires a smoke alarm and a CO alarm within 15 feet of every sleeping room. Chicago also requires a smoke alarm at the top of each interior stairwell and a CO alarm in the boiler or furnace room and in any room with a gas water heater.
- Keep the boiler room and furnace closet clear. They shouldn't be used for storage.
- Write down the date of each test for your records.
Resident communication
A short notice before winter heads off a lot of emergency calls.
- Send every resident a winter notice: how to report a heat problem, the after-hours number, and what to do if a pipe freezes or bursts.
- Remind residents to keep the heat on when they travel, and to tell you if they'll be away for a long stretch.
- Spell out space heater safety and ask residents to tell you about drafts or cold rooms early.
- Send the same notice to every resident in the same way, and keep a copy.
Make-ready and vendor timing
Winter makes turnovers slower and pricier, so plan around it.
- Get exterior work (masonry, roofing, porches, painting) finished before freezing weather.
- If a lease ends in winter, schedule the make-ready right away so the unit isn't sitting empty and cold.
- Book contractors early. Their schedules fill up after the first cold snap.
- Keep a short list of on-call vendors: HVAC, plumber, electrician, locksmith, snow removal.
This checklist is general maintenance guidance, not legal advice. Rules on heat, detectors, sidewalks and notices change, so check the current City of Chicago rules for your building.
