Landlord responsibilities during holidays stay the same while everyone else heads off for the summer. A tap can start leaking or a lock can jam at any time. If a shower floods the bathroom in August, your tenants will still need someone to call. A little planning at the start of July can save you a stressful, expensive few weeks.
Related: Essential Winter Maintenance Checklist for UK Landlords
Get the property summer-ready
Warm weather tests a property differently from cold weather. Heat builds up in top-floor flats, gardens grow fast, and water sitting in pipes can turn into a health risk. Start with the issues that affect tenant safety, then work outwards to the smaller jobs that keep tenants comfortable.
Keep the water system safe
Landlords have a legal duty to assess and control the risk of Legionella in their properties. The bacteria grow best in still, lukewarm water, and summer temperatures make that more likely. Most homes are low risk, but a few simple checks help keep it that way.
- If there is a hot water cylinder, make sure it stores water at 60°C.
- Remove or flush little-used showers and outside taps.
- Check that any cold water tank has a well-fitting lid.
- Keep a short written record of your risk assessment.
Book the boiler service while engineers have slots
Heating engineers are usually less busy in summer. Booking now gives you time to fix any faults before the first cold snap, rather than joining a queue in October. Gas appliances and flues you provide need a safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer every 12 months. Existing tenants must get the record within 28 days of the check.
Plan for hot spells
Excess heat is one of the hazards councils assess under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Loft conversions and south-facing flats can become uncomfortable fast. Check that windows open properly and that restrictors still allow some airflow. Blinds or thermal curtains are a low-cost upgrade worth considering.
Tidy the outside spaces
Check your tenancy agreement to confirm who looks after the garden. Even where tenants mow and weed, overhanging trees, broken fences, and loose paving are often the landlord’s job. Sorting them now avoids disputes, and a neat front garden helps if you plan to re-let.
Arrange cover before you go away
Distance makes most problems harder over the summer. You might be on a beach abroad, with patchy signal and a time difference, when a tenant rings. Good holiday cover comes down to two things. You need people who can fix problems, and tenants who know who to call.
Line up tradespeople who work through August
Ask your plumber, electrician, and locksmith when they are taking their own holidays. Many tradespeople book time off during the school break, so you may need a back-up for each trade. Agree call-out rates in advance. A surprise invoice in September is easier to avoid than to dispute.
Give tenants a plan for when things go wrong
A one-page contact sheet can save panicked phone calls. Pin a copy inside a kitchen cupboard or send it by email so tenants can find it in a hurry. Keep it short. Nobody wants to read three pages while water pours through the ceiling.
What the sheet should include
- Your mobile number and the dates you will be away.
- A named back-up contact who holds a spare key, such as a trusted neighbour.
- Numbers for your tradespeople and their back-ups.
- National Gas Emergency Service contact details.
- Where to find the stopcock, fuse box, and gas meter.
What counts as an emergency
Spell this out so tenants know when to call at midnight and when an email can wait. Flooding, a total loss of power or water, and a broken front door lock need a fast response. If tenants smell gas, they should call the gas emergency number first. A dripping tap can wait.
Give notice before any summer visit
If you need to inspect or carry out repairs, give tenants at least 24 hours’ written notice. Visit at a reasonable time. Tenants have the right to quiet enjoyment, meaning they can live in their home without unnecessary disturbance. A genuine emergency, such as a flood, may justify quicker access.
Message tenants before the holidays begin
A clear, friendly message can stop small problems growing. Send it by text or email before schools break up and tenants start making plans. It also shows you are organised, which helps build trust before the busy weeks start.
Summer tips worth sending to tenants
Tenants handle most day-to-day care, so their habits shape how the property copes in warm weather. Some have never dealt with an overheating flat or a garden that runs wild in a fortnight. A few practical pointers help fill that gap. These three tackle common summer problems:
- Close curtains or blinds on sunny windows during the day, and open windows when it cools in the evening.
- Run all taps and showers for a few minutes after returning from a trip of a week or more, to flush out stale water.
- Report leaks, damp patches, or faults on the day they appear, even if you are away.
Protect the property while tenants travel
Many tenants go away for a week or two during the school holidays. That can leave your property empty during the warmest part of the year. A leak in an empty home can run for days before anyone notices. Protecting rental properties during holidays starts before tenants pack.
Check what your insurer says about empty homes
Many landlord policies include an unoccupancy clause, which sets rules for when nobody lives there. Some limit cover once a property has been empty for a set period. Others set conditions, such as regular checks. Check the wording and ask tenants to flag long absences.
Make the home look lived in
An empty home is easy to spot, even on long summer evenings. Bins left out for days, an overgrown lawn, and post on the mat are all giveaways. Secure doors and windows deter intruders and matter for compliance. ‘Entry by intruders’ is another hazard councils assess under the same rating system. For tenants who are travelling, these low-cost extras can help:
- Plug-in timer switches for a couple of lamps.
- Motion-sensor lights at the front and back.
- A neighbour to collect post, water plants, and put the bins out and back in on collection day.
Related: A landlord’s guide: Your inventory checklist
Use the summer to check your rent
Summer is one of the busiest times in the lettings calendar. Families move before the new school year, and graduates and new starters look for homes ahead of September. That makes it a good time to check whether your rent still reflects the local market.
How the Renters’ Rights Act shapes rent reviews
In England, the Renters’ Rights Act has set a clearer route for rent reviews since 1 May 2026. Rent can now rise once a year at most. You must serve a Section 13 notice under the Housing Act, giving tenants two months’ notice of the new rent.
Tenants can challenge an increase at the First-tier Tribunal, which decides the market rent. Ask too much and the tribunal may lower it. It cannot set a figure higher than the one you proposed, so asking too little means you may wait a full year to fix it.
Related: How to End a Tenancy From May 2026: CJ Hole’s Guide to the New Possession Rules
Get a valuation grounded in local knowledge
At CJ Hole, lettings has remained a core part of our work ever since. Our teams track how demand varies between streets and seasons. We can explain your obligations and give you a rent figure backed by local lettings evidence.
A well-prepared property is more likely to get through the summer in good shape and keep tenants settled. If you want to know what yours could earn, speak to your local CJ Hole office for a rental valuation.
