New year, same risks: 2026 winter checklist for property owners and managers

With the arrival of Storm Goretti and worsening weather in the winter months, it's important to ensure that your property is protected from winter risks.

Though 2025 may be over, the winter months are still underway and bring with them a number of challenges. As mentioned in our insurance guidance blog on Storm Goretti, weather-related risks remain a real threat to the UK and property owners and managers should take care to protect their assets.

Adverse weather conditions, including heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures, can create severe risks for buildings and infrastructure. For instance, a burst pipe caused by freezing temperatures can lead to extensive water damage, compromising the integrity of the building's external structure. The resulting issues may require expensive repairs and could have a significant impact on tenants trading in commercial premises or lessees living in blocks of flats and/or private dwelling houses.

Fortunately, there are measures that property managers and owners can implement to protect their buildings from the harsh effects of winter weather. The guidance in this section is straightforward and represents good practices for property management. You can help reduce claims, lower insurance premiums, and minimise the extra work needed to address issues by considering the following steps.

Precautionary measures to protect your property

· Regularly inspect all areas of your building that may be affected by severe weather.

· Pay special attention to external equipment such as water tanks, sprinkler systems, and pump houses. Check the condition of any insulation or trace heating for these installations.

· When necessary, clear snow and apply grit to pathways, car parks, and yard areas to ensure safe access for tenants, visitors, and contractors.

· Check that external lighting and means of access to yards are sufficient for safe working or access.

· Locate and record on a plan all pipework, tanks, valves, and stopcocks, including the main stopcock, main electrical switches, and boiler controls, and ensure they all operate correctly. It’s essential to prepare instructions in the event of an emergency and ensure that all keyholders have copies of the plan and are familiar with the operation of all controls.

· Have all water and central heating systems checked and tested periodically by a qualified plumber/heating engineer.

· Electricity supplies may fail – consider the installation of an emergency generator.

· Make sure all pipes are protected from freezing by taking the following simple measures:

Ø Install at least 25mm thick, good quality, non-combustible, securely fixed lagging to pipes to resist overnight snap frosts.

Ø Heat either the entire premises or specific vulnerable areas. Leave heating on when freezing conditions are forecast and when the premises are shut for weekends or longer periods, particularly during holidays. Where frost-stats are not installed, heating should maintain a constant temperature of at least 5°C.

Ø Consider installing electrical heating tapes on pipes located in unheated roof spaces and outside buildings.

Ø Simple and affordable automatic water control valves can detect leaks or unusual water flows, automatically shutting off the mains water supply.

Ø Wherever practical, drain down tanks and pipes in vulnerable areas when not in use.

Ø Install immersion heaters in storage tanks.

Ø Isolate and drain down water systems when buildings are unoccupied or shut down without any form of heating.

Ø Sprinkler installations – unless your system is specifically designed as an alternate or dry pipe system, it is crucial that areas protected by sprinklers are heated to 5°C.

Frozen and burst pipes: Emergency action

If Pipes freeze

ü Isolate the frozen pipe by closing the stopcock or feed from the mains or tank.

ü Protect wiring, machinery, or stock in the immediate vicinity from water leakage.

ü Open the tap nearest to the frozen section.

ü To safely thaw a frozen pipe, use a gentle heat source such as a hot water bottle or a hair dryer. Alternatively, you can increase the temperature of the surrounding area using space heaters.

ü Avoid using blow lamps, electric hot-air guns, or other high-output heating devices, as applying sudden heat may cause the pipe to burst.

ü Always remember never to use a naked flame.

If pipes burst

ü Isolate the main water supply at the stopcock.

ü Switch off the electrical supply to the building or the affected area.

ü Open doors and any internal or external drains to allow water to drain away freely.

ü Move as much property as possible from the wet areas of the floor or beneath the burst pipe to facilitate the drying process.

ü Call an emergency plumber.

Emergency planning

There is always a risk of unforeseen incidents, so having an emergency plan in place is essential.

Every emergency plan should include the following key elements:

· Conduct daily inspections of the premises, especially during shutdown periods, to ensure early detection of potential issues.

· Pre-plan effective methods for drying out and clearing the premises after an incident.

· Compile a list of important emergency contact numbers, including your insurance broker, plumber, builder/roofing contractor, drainage contractor, and providers of power generators and pumps.

· Distribute copies of this list to all keyholders and ensure it is stored off-site.

· Develop a comprehensive disaster recovery and continuity plan to minimise any interruptions to operations.