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 we 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.