In the Colorado mountains, fall is short and the first hard freeze doesn't send a reminder. For a short-term rental, that's compounded: the property might sit empty for days between guests, and the person who'd notice a problem — you — may be an hour or a state away.
This is the checklist I work from on fall visits. Most of it you can do yourself in an afternoon. Some of it is worth having someone look at.
1. Freeze protection
- Disconnect hoses and drain exterior spigots. Frost-free hydrants only work if the hose is off.
- Test heat tape before you need it. Plug it in, feel for warmth along the run, and look for cracked or brittle sections.
- Find the main water shutoff and make sure it turns. Label it. Put it in your guest manual and your cleaner's notes.
- Set a minimum thermostat guests can't override below — 55°F is a common floor for an occupied-then-empty cabin.
- Consider a remote temperature sensor. A cheap Wi-Fi sensor that alerts you below 45°F is the best insurance a remote host can buy.
2. Safety devices
- Test every smoke and CO detector, and replace batteries on a schedule rather than when they chirp at 2 a.m. for a guest.
- Check detector dates. Most smoke alarms are due for replacement at 10 years; CO alarms often sooner — the date is printed on the back.
- Confirm detector locations match your floor plan on file. Park County's STR rules require floor plans showing where they are.
- Fire extinguisher: charged, visible, and not behind the bleach.
3. Decks, stairs, and railings
- Walk every stair and push on every railing. Loose is a repair now; broken is a liability with a guest on it.
- Look for boards that are cupped, checked, or soft near fasteners. High-altitude UV and freeze-thaw cycles are brutal on deck boards.
- If water no longer beads on the surface, the finish is done. Stain is a spring or early-fall job — it needs dry days above about 50°F.
4. Water on the outside
- Clean gutters after the aspens drop. Clogged gutters are the start of most ice dams.
- Make sure downspouts discharge well away from the foundation — several feet at least, onto something that won't erode.
- Walk the driveway and look at the culvert. Clear it now; it's much harder once it's frozen solid.
5. Snow and access
- Confirm your plow arrangement in writing, including who's called and when. Park County requires STR hosts to have a snow removal plan with a contact.
- Mark the edges of the driveway with stakes before the first storm.
- Stock ice melt and a shovel where guests can find them, and say so in the house manual.
6. The inside, briefly
- Weatherstrip doors where you can see daylight or feel a draft.
- Check the dryer vent and clean the lint path — a common fire risk in busy rentals.
- Look under every sink with a flashlight. Small drips become big problems in an empty house.
Doing this yourself? Photograph each item as you go. It gives you a baseline for next year and a record if something goes wrong.
If you'd rather have it handled, this list is the core of the host maintenance program — done on schedule, with a photo report after every visit.