SFR Leases In Cold Climates - Language Regarding Frozen Pipes

[Maria S.]

Do you have specific language in the lease regarding frozen pipes and keeping pipes from freezing?

Here is the specific situation - one of my tenants in SFR kept the house too cold (admitted to keeping it at 66F). It seems that he opted not to run the furnace (gas) and instead used space heaters. The main water pipe in the crawlspace runs along the heat ducts and that along with the insulation protects it from freezing.

When the pipe froze (single digits week) I went and thawed it out for him and left a heat light to keep it from freezing again. I've had graduate students in that house for 2 years before him with colder winters and never had this issue before.

So do you have specific language in the lease or in a separate document outlining what steps to take to keep the pipes from freezing?