Winterizing a Vacation Rental in New England: Heat, Pipes, Snow and Safety

Open for Winter, or Closed for Winter?

Decide this first, because the checklists are opposite.

• Closed for winter. Common for seasonal lake cottages. The water is shut off and the plumbing drained, often by a plumber, and the house is checked on a schedule. Nobody books it.
• Open for winter. Ski homes, year-round lake houses and homes near towns and hospitals. The house stays heated and plumbed, and you plan for storms, fuel and guests. The rest of this page is about this case.

If the house will sit empty for long stretches either way, read the insurance section below before you decide.

Heat: Settings, Alerts and Backups

Keep the heat on between stays. The National Weather Service's cold-weather guidance says not to turn the heat down too much when you go away and to leave it set to at least 55 degrees. In a rental, many owners keep the empty-house setting a little higher in the coldest weeks, because outside walls and closets run colder than the thermostat.

Set the thermostat for guests, then reset it. Give guests a comfortable range they can change, and have the setback to the empty-house setting happen at checkout, either by a smart thermostat schedule or by the cleaner.

Add a low-temperature alert. A smart thermostat or a separate temperature sensor that sends an alert when the house drops below a set point is the single best freeze protection for a house that sits empty midweek. The alert is only useful if it reaches someone within driving distance who will go.

Know your heating system. Oil boiler, propane furnace, heat pump with backup, wood stove: write down what heats the house, where the emergency switch is, and who services it. Have it serviced in the fall, before the first cold snap.

Frozen Pipe Prevention

The same National Weather Service guidance lists the basics:

• Insulate water lines that run through unheated areas: basement, crawl space, attic, garage, under sinks and along outside walls.
• Seal cracks and holes near pipes in outside walls and foundations.
• Open kitchen and bathroom sink cabinets so warmer air reaches the plumbing.
• Let faucets on exposed pipes drip slowly in severe cold.
• Know where the main water shutoff is and how to use it.

For a rental, add three more:

1. Label the main shutoff and show it in your guest guide and your cleaner's notes. A burst pipe found by a guest at 11 p.m. is a small problem if they can turn off the water.
2. Shut off and drain outdoor faucets in late fall.
3. Consider a water leak sensor near the water heater, washer and any pipe on an outside wall. Some shutoff valves can close the main automatically when a leak is detected.

Oil and Propane: Never Run Out

An empty oil tank or propane tank in January means no heat, and in an empty house that can mean frozen pipes within a day or two in a deep cold snap. Plan it:

• Automatic delivery, where the supplier schedules fills based on weather and use, is the simplest plan for a rental. If you call for your own deliveries, someone has to read the gauge every week.
• Keep the path clear. The fill pipe or tank must be reachable. Put "plow and shovel to the fill pipe or tank" in your plow contract.
• Keep the supplier's number in the house manual, along with the account number and the tank location.
• Watch for big weeks. A full house for a ski week burns more fuel and hot water than an empty midweek. Check levels before holidays.

Generators and Carbon Monoxide

Power outages come with winter storms. If your rental has a generator, guests and crews need to know the rules:

• The CDC says never run a generator, pressure washer or other gasoline engine indoors, including in a basement or garage, even with doors or windows open, and to keep it at least 20 feet from any window, door or vent.
• Ready.gov adds attached garages to that list and recommends working carbon monoxide detectors on every level of the home.
• The CDC also warns never to use a gas range or oven to heat a home. Put that in your guest guide for outage nights.

A permanently installed standby generator with an automatic transfer switch avoids most of these risks; have it installed and serviced by a licensed electrician.

CO alarms are also the law. In New Hampshire, RSA 153:10-a requires carbon monoxide detection in rental units with a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage, and makes the owner responsible for keeping it in working condition. In Massachusetts, Mass. General Laws chapter 148, section 26F1/2 requires working CO alarms in residential buildings with fossil-fuel burning equipment or enclosed parking. Vermont's Division of Fire Safety requires CO alarms outside each sleeping area, in any sleeping room with a fuel-burning appliance or fireplace, and on every occupied level. See insurance and safety.

Snow and Ice: Who Does What

Write down who is responsible for each job, and put it in the plow contract or the management agreement. Unclear responsibility is how a guest ends up stuck at the bottom of an unplowed driveway.

Roof snow. Heavy snow and ice dams can damage roofs and cause leaks inside. Never ask a guest or cleaner to go on the roof. Hire a roofer or a roof-raking service and agree on when they come.

Walkways. Keep salt or sand and a shovel by the door, and tell guests where they are. Light the path to the door.

Guest Instructions for Winter

Put a short winter page in your guidebook and in the pre-arrival message:

• Driveway and parking rules, and that plowing may happen during their stay.
• Four-wheel drive or snow tires recommended, if your road needs them.
• The thermostat range, and to leave it on when they go out skiing.
• Where the shovel, salt, flashlights and spare batteries are.
• What to do in an outage: where the breaker panel is, the generator rules, and never to heat with the oven.
• Where the main water shutoff is, and whom to call for a leak.
• Check-out steps: thermostat to the set point, windows closed and locked.

See best winter amenities for ski area rentals for what guests look for.

Vacant Weeks: Who Checks the House?

Midweek gaps and January lulls leave the house empty. Decide who checks it, and how often, when there is no booking. A cleaner's turnover visit is a natural check, and an inspection after every stay catches leaks, ice and drafts early. For long empty stretches, schedule a visit at least weekly and after every major storm or outage, and keep the low-temperature and leak alerts on. Our property inspection checklist has a winter section.

Insurance Notes on Freeze Damage

This is general information; your policy wording controls. The Insurance Information Institute, an industry group, says most homeowners policies limit or exclude coverage when a property is unoccupied for, typically, 30 to 60 consecutive days, and that insurers typically expect reasonable steps to maintain the property: failing to heat the home in winter, for example, could void coverage. It suggests keeping the heat at about 55 degrees, shutting off or winterizing the water, having the home checked weekly, and telling your insurer before leaving a home unoccupied for an extended period.

Ask your agent three questions: does my policy cover short-term rental use at all, what does it say about vacancy or unoccupancy, and what does it require of me to cover freeze damage. Keep records of thermostat settings, fuel deliveries and check visits.

Where New England Host Co Fits

New England Host Co manages winter rentals in Southern New Hampshire, the Lakes Region, Central Massachusetts and Southern Vermont near Okemo. Housekeeping and an inspection happen after every stay, and repairs are coordinated with local vendors, with an approval limit agreed with each owner. Read our winter rental management page, the broader short-term rental management guide, or contact us. For more owner guides, visit the owner hub.

FAQ

What Temperature Should I Keep an Empty Vacation Rental in Winter?

The National Weather Service advises at least 55 degrees when you are away. Many rental owners set the empty-house temperature a little higher in the coldest weeks and add a low-temperature alert.

Who Is Responsible for Snow Removal at a Vacation Rental?

Whoever your contracts say. Most owners hire a plow contractor and assign shoveling and salting to the contractor, the cleaner or the manager. Put it in writing, including timing before check-in.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Frozen Pipes in a Rental?

It depends on the policy. Many policies limit coverage for homes left unoccupied for long periods and expect heat to be maintained. Ask your agent, and confirm the policy covers short-term rental use.

Can Guests Use a Portable Generator?

Only outdoors, and the CDC says at least 20 feet from windows, doors and vents. Never in a basement or garage. Many owners keep portable generators locked away from guests.

This page is general information, not legal, insurance or tax advice; check with your town, your insurer or a professional.