Blizzards, Backlogs, and Package Pileups: A Winter Weather Survival Guide for Your Property

It’s not all tinsel and mistletoe, when it comes to prepping your property for winter and the always chaotic holiday season. To set your property up for a season of success and keep property managers’ already demanding jobs from getting even tougher, now is the perfect time to winterize your multifamily property. Read on for our tips and best practices to get your property ready.

Key Considerations:

• Protect against pipe freezes by keeping heat on in empty units (60-65 degrees), letting faucets drip, and opening cabinet doors to circulate warm air.
• Get ahead of HVAC issues with routine maintenance checks on furnaces, filters, smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors before the cold sets in.
• Prep outdoor areas by trimming branches near buildings, driveways, and power lines, and installing motion-sensor lighting for added security after dark.
• Educate residents proactively on space heater safety, candle and decoration guidelines, guest policies, and holiday hours.
• Stock up for snow and ice removal with ice melt, shovels, and snow-clearing equipment, and know local snow removal laws.
• Secure the package surge with smart lockers or package rooms that protect deliveries from theft and hold up in winter conditions, and communicate any holiday pickup changes early.

Prevent Pipe Freezes

At first blush, freezing pipes seems like a small deal, but the real issue and expense happen when pipes freeze and then burst, resulting in a deluge of water. The water damage is the real culprit, often requiring expensive remediation to prevent mold. In fact, roughly 1 in 67 insured homes files a water damage or freezing claim each year.¹ Even areas with relatively mild winters should keep this advice in mind, as communities that aren’t prepared for winter emergencies are more likely to suffer water damage during surprise cold snaps.

Most HVAC experts recommend letting faucets drip to prevent pipes from freezing, as well as opening cabinet doors to let warm air circulate. As a best practice, keep pre-written communications on hand so you can quickly let residents know what to do to prevent frozen or burst pipes in their unit. Another common cold-weather mistake is turning off the heat in empty units, but it’s critical to keep it on to prevent freezing. The recommended setting is typically 60 to 65 degrees.

Check Heating Systems

Regular HVAC maintenance should always be on your fall and winter checklist, along with smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Diane Batayeh, CEO of Southfield, Michigan-based apartment manager Village Green, explains, “You’re preparing for the winter months. You’re looking at the asphalt. You’re looking at all the heating systems and hot water boilers and things of that nature. You’re looking at things maybe in the early stages of deferred maintenance and just taking care of it.”²

‘Tis the season to check filters, inspect furnace units, and take a close look at parts that might need replacing. Inspect boiler or furnace pipes closely for small cracks or signs of corrosion, particularly in older sections, since these weak points are where a breach is most likely to occur. Preventing issues now is always cheaper than emergency service later.

Prepare Outdoor Areas

Outdoor lighting is key, and motion-sensor lighting in particular gives residents a sense of security after dark. “Trimming the tree” takes on new meaning as the holidays approach: this time of year, it means cutting back branches that hang over buildings, limbs that stretch over driveways and sidewalks, trees that sit too close to power lines, and any dead or dying trees that could come down in a storm.

Lights, Candles, Safety: The Importance of Educating Residents

Communication is key. With wreaths, garlands, and candles providing a holiday ambiance, inform residents about safety guidelines and rules/guidelines about space heater usage. Space heaters and heating stoves caused the largest share of home heating equipment fires: nearly a third (30%) of fires, but a disproportionate 73% of deaths and 70% of injuries from heating equipment fires overall.³

As families travel over the river and through the woods, it’s helpful to remind residents about guest policies and special holiday hours. You might also take safety a step further by communicating the essentials of a winter car emergency kit, including:

• Flashlight
• Ice Scraper
• Water
• Battery Charger
• Power Bank
• Blanket
• Gloves
• Portable Jumper Cables
• First Aid Kit

If you have rules about Christmas trees or smoking policies, consider a flyer, workshop, or resident app post.

Plan for Snow and Ice Removal

As much as your residents want to make snow angels, it’s important to move snow that piles up to prevent accidents. Stock up on ice melt, snow blowers, shovels, and snowplows. Don’t forget to stay off the “naughty list” by knowing the pertinent laws in your area concerning snow removal.

Implement a Secure Package Delivery System

Although we’re not expecting “brown paper packages tied up with strings,” the holiday season forecast indicates that U.S. delivery companies are expected to handle continued high delivery volumes. Last year, carriers were projected to handle 2.3 billion packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a 5% increase over 2024. And more shopping means more package management issues.

Smart package lockers and package rooms do more than streamline delivery management; they keep residents’ purchases secure, which matters most during a season known for elevated package theft risk. For properties short on indoor space, Parcel Pending’s outdoor lockers are built to handle even extreme winter conditions: locker kiosks come with built-in heating to ensure consistent performance year-round, and industrial-grade, UV-resistant touchscreens keep access reliable without updates, switches, or service calls.

If pickup periods or requirements are changing for the holidays, such as adding an ID requirement for collecting deliveries, residents should hear about it in advance so they can plan accordingly.

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It’s the upcoming season of joy, and preparing for it early will make for smooth sledding ahead.

Ready to get seasonal package surges off your plate? Speak to a Parcel Pending representative today to find out how our solutions can work for you.

Sources:

1. Insurance Information Institute. Facts + Statistics: Homeowners and renters insurance. www.iii.org. n.d. https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-homeowners-and-renters-insurance
2. Shaver, Leslie. Winter is coming: 4 ways to prepare properties for colder temperatures. www.multifamilydive.com. October 16, 2023. https://www.multifamilydive.com/news/property-operations-winter-maintenance-freezing-pipes-heating-air-conditioning-apartment-management/696652/
3. National Fire Protection Association. Home Heating Safety. www.nfpa.org. n.d. https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/heating
4. Garland, Max. FedEx, Amazon slated for 2025 volume gains: ShipMatrix. www.supplychaindive.com. October 17, 2025. https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/2025-holiday-delivery-projections-fedex-ups-usps-amazon/802669/