Tenant will have 10 week extended absence

[Andrew S.]

I have a tenant that is 6 months into a 1 year lease and has joined the military. They will be leaving for basic training that will last up to 10 weeks and would like to keep the apartment. How would you best handle the extended absence of the apartment? I'm in Montana so the heat would need to be kept on. They have a family member who said could check on the place 1-2 times per week. I could stop in and verify no plumbing or heat issues as well if needed (don't want to but could). Any other suggestions? Thanks!

[Colleen F.]

If you are worried about not knowing about a  loss of heat and frozen pipes you could just get an alarm that tells you if the temperature drops or electric goes out.   We have one that auto-calls us if the electric goes out.  Depending on the setup I might shut off water to say a washing machine in the basement.  If he has someone going over there you probably don't want to shut off all the water.  It is his responsibility to make sure the property stays in good condition but it would give you extra insurance. 

I would still go over at some point in his absence just because you want to be sure there are no other issues maybe  about 1x month.