Top 5 property maintenance tips for Brighton landlords

Salt air corrodes faster than inland air. Inspect external metalwork — railings, downpipes, boiler flue terminals — every six months and treat any surface rust before it eats through.

Gutters fill faster near the sea. Seagulls drop nesting material and the wind packs leaves tight. Clear gutters in October and again in February — blocked gutters are the single biggest cause of damp ingress on Brighton terraces.

Sash windows are a Brighton signature and a maintenance liability. Re-cord and re-putty every 8–10 years; check the parting bead for rot annually. Catching rot early saves a full window replacement.

Boilers in Brighton properties often sit in cold lofts or external cupboards. Lag every exposed pipe and fit a frost stat — a single burst pipe in January costs more than ten years of frost protection.

Finally: get an EICR done early. With a high proportion of period conversions in Brighton, electrical installations are often older than landlords realise. A five-year inspection is the legal floor — not a target.