please maintain a permanent source of heat at all times.  heat shall be maintained at not less than 55 degrees.  any damage caused by lack of heat may result in charges to your account for the repairs.

locate your water shut off valve now.  if pipes freeze and break, then you will need to access and shut off the valve to prevent further damage to the unit through flooding once the pipes thaw.

also, please notify us if you have plans to be absent from the unit for more than 24-hours during the winter.  it’s also a good idea to have a trusted friend look in on your unit while you are absent.

some additional ideas and notes:

1. keep indoor faucets running at a slow trickle during freezing weather
2. newspaper is a good insulator for any pipes that are of concern
3. leave cupboards open under the sink in kitchens and baths
4. keep the unit well heated during work days or when you are away
5. disconnect outside hoses, turn off all hose bibs and wrap hose bibs with newspaper, cloth or purchase a cover.
6. make sure your crawl space is easily accessed in case of emergency plumbing needs
7. remember to check your garage for any potential water problems
8. be sure that any windows left open for fresh air don’t damage blinds or sills
9. check weather stripping on doors and windows and let us know if they repair

if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

thanks all and stay warm out there!

rebecca

hello dwell tenants:

in the recent months, we’ve been experiencing very delayed mail service for in town mail. i’ve talked with a postal worker here in town and here’s some info we wanted to highlight for you:

1. in town mail is no longer a 1-2 day process that you can count on! we’ve received rent as late as 10 days past the postmark date!

2. the post office is largely short staffed and working as fast as they can. NOTE: most postal workers, knowing how unreliable the mail service is, rarely mail bills, choosing instead to hand deliver everything.

3. we pick up our mail daily and handle it carefully. one tenant who accused us of not handling our mail properly found out the truth when she sent her rent certified mail/return receipt with an expected 2 day in-town delivery. it took five days to reach us!

4. remember that you are paying $.44 to get your rent to us on time, risking being charged a late fee if it’s received after the allowed date in your lease.

5. most of our owners contractually don’t let us waive late fees. so, if you are one of the unfortunate folks caught with late mail delivery, we won’t be able to waive your late fee.

6. the only guaranteed way to pay rent by mail is to send it with FedEx or UPS to our physical site, requiring a signature. this can cost $12 or more.

while we are not trying to discourage rent payments in the mail, as it’s the most convenient method for everyone; we wanted to make sure to notify you of this issue, so that you understand the risks you take if you mail your rent with a $.44 stamp!