Do you own a property in a prime vacation spot? If you plan to rent out your home, you should make sure your tenants know how to do their part to keep the septic system healthy. Keep in mind that renters come from all over, may not have a septic in their own home, or may just not know what they should and shouldn’t do to protect your septic. Here are some tips when renting out your house:
Supply Safe Cleaning Products
Renters might not be aware that some cleaning products aren’t considered safe for septic systems. This can result in damage if your tenants use the wrong products for cleaning toilets, doing laundry, and handling other household tasks. You can let your renters know which cleaning products are safe for septic systems, but this won’t guarantee that they’ll purchase and use them. Instead, consider providing safe cleaning products already stocked in the house such as homemade bottles of distilled white vinegar instead of harsh store-bought bleach-filled chemicals. This makes it easy for them to safely clean your rental home without risking septic damage.
Put Up Helpful Signs in Bathrooms and Kitchens
Certain items can cause damage to septic systems when they’ve flushed down toilets or poured down drains. You should let your tenants know which items to avoid putting in toilets and drains throughout your home. To make it easier for them to remember, consider hanging up signs in your kitchen and bathrooms. List items that shouldn’t be flushed, such as cat litter, baby wipes, paper towels, and tissues. You should also list items to avoid pouring in drains or putting garbage disposals, such as grease and large amounts of food. Other helpful tips to put on signs include using the washing machine once per day and avoiding taking long showers.
Educate Tenants on Signs of Septic Problems
Your tenants should become familiar with common signs of septic problems, so they can let you know about any that occur right away. You can then have prompt repairs done to prevent serious damage. Common signs of septic problems include toilets that are backed up and a sewage smell in the home. Your tenants should also let you know if your rental home has slow drains or if they hear any gurgling noises. Other signs they should watch for include seeing water pooling in the yard or bright green grass growing over the drain field.
Limit Guests Depending on Tank Capacity
Some septic systems have limited capacity. If yours has a limited-capacity tank, you should let your tenants know ahead of time. Depending on the tank’s capacity, you might need to limit how many tenants your rental home has or how many guests your tenants have over at a time. Limits help prevent problems from occurring due to too many people putting a strain on the septic system.
Show Tenants Where the Septic Is Located
Before your tenants move in, show them where your septic field is located or have this documented in a welcome packet with emergency information. Information like this is helpful so that they can watch for signs of septic problems in the yard. Knowing where the septic field also means they can avoid using that part of the yard for outdoor activities or parking vehicles, and help reduce the risk of contamination or damage to your septic system.
If you plan to rent your home, contact us or call (603) 945-7355 to schedule an inspection or have repairs done as needed. The inspection provides peace of mind and helps ensure that your septic system is in good shape before tenants move in. We can also perform maintenance after renting your home to identify any problems and prevent new ones.