Spring Rental Property Maintenance Checklist for Denver Landlords

Every spring, we get a wave of calls from Denver landlords who spent the winter assuming everything was fine — and are now staring at a $4,000 repair bill that could have been caught in October. We don't say that to scare you. We say it because after managing hundreds of properties across the Denver metro, we've seen the pattern enough times to know: spring maintenance isn't optional, it's just a question of whether you do it on your terms or your contractor's emergency rate.

Denver winters are no joke. The freeze-thaw cycles alone can wreak havoc on driveways, foundations, and plumbing. And because Colorado loves to throw a surprise April snowstorm into the mix (we all remember the springs that didn't feel like spring until June), getting ahead of seasonal maintenance before the rush is just good business.

This checklist covers what we inspect every spring across our own managed portfolio — and what we recommend every Denver landlord do before summer leasing season kicks off.

Why Spring Maintenance Matters More Than You Think

There's a financial argument and a relationship argument for staying on top of this. The financial one is obvious — small issues become expensive ones if they're ignored. A gutter pulling away from the roofline is a $150 fix in April. Left until October, it's potential interior water damage and a very unhappy tenant.

The relationship argument matters just as much. Renters who feel like their landlord actually cares about the property are significantly more likely to renew. We've seen it play out dozens of times. According to the National Apartment Association, turning over a rental unit costs between $1,000 and $5,000 — and that doesn't count the emotional energy of finding a new tenant in a softening market.

Taking care of your property is one of the easiest tenant retention tools you have. Use it.

The My Haven Spring Maintenance Checklist

🏠 Exterior & Roof

• Inspect the roof for missing, cracked, or curling shingles — winter wind and ice take a real toll up there
• Clean gutters and downspouts — this is the one item we see skipped most often, and it causes the most downstream damage
• Look for ice dam evidence along the roofline or in the attic, especially in older homes
• Walk the driveway and sidewalks — freeze-thaw cracks are a liability issue, not just an eyesore

🌿 Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces

• Fire up the sprinkler system and check for heads that cracked over winter. In Denver's clay-heavy soil, ground movement alone can shift lines
• Inspect decks, fences, and patios — one winter of snow loading does more structural damage than most people realize
• Clear window wells of debris before the spring rain hits

🔧 Plumbing & HVAC

• Test every outdoor hose bib — even frost-free versions can crack if a hose was left attached in December (it happens more than you'd think)
• Schedule HVAC service now, before every other landlord in Denver does the same in June and you're waiting three weeks for an appointment
• Swap out HVAC filters — this one takes ten minutes and extends the life of the system significantly
• Flush the water heater if it hasn't been done recently, especially in properties with older units

🪟 Interior

• Test smoke and CO detectors and replace batteries. This is a Colorado legal requirement — details at the Colorado Division of Housing — and one of the few maintenance items where there's zero gray area
• Check window seals and weatherstripping — a drafty window that felt fine in July shows itself in January, and your tenant will notice before you do
• Inspect caulking around tubs, showers, and sinks. Water intrusion from a failed caulk line is a quiet, slow destroyer of drywall

⚡ Documentation & Legal

• Take dated photos before and after any maintenance work. We can't stress this enough. It's the single best thing you can do to protect yourself in a normal wear and tear dispute at move-out
• Review lease maintenance clauses to confirm what's on you and what's on the tenant. Our lease enforcement guide walks through this in detail if you need a refresher

Managing This Across Multiple Properties Is a Different Animal

One property? You can probably handle a spring walkthrough yourself on a Saturday morning. Two or three properties? It starts getting complicated. Five or more? You're running a small business, and maintenance coordination is a real job.

At My Haven, we handle seasonal maintenance inspections, vendor scheduling, and emergency repairs for every property in our portfolio. Our contractors are licensed, insured, and vetted — not whoever was available on Angi last Tuesday. And because we manage at scale, our owners get priority scheduling and competitive pricing that's hard to match on your own.

If you're spending more time managing your rental than you'd like, let's talk. We're at 303-228-7800 whenever you're ready.

My Haven is a full-service property management company serving Denver and the surrounding communities. From tenant screening to maintenance coordination, we help rental property owners maximize their investment with confidence.