A vacation home watch visit should cover the outside of the home (doors, windows, roof, pool and landscaping), the inside (signs of leaks, pests, or break-ins), and the systems that fail quietly, especially the air conditioning, which controls humidity. In South Florida, those checks should happen weekly, with a photo report after every visit and extra inspections after storms.
Below is the full checklist, the Florida-specific items most checklists leave out, and how to tell whether a home watch service is actually doing the job.
What a Vacation Home Watch Visit Should Cover
A good inspection follows the same checklist every time, so nothing depends on memory. Here’s what it should include.
Outside the home
- Doors, windows, sliders, and garage doors locked and showing no signs of forced entry
- Roof, gutters, and downspouts checked from the ground for damage, debris, or poor drainage
- Screen enclosures and lanai screens checked for tears or storm damage
- Irrigation running properly, with no broken heads or standing water
- Landscaping, walkways, and the driveway clear of fallen branches or hazards
- Mail, packages, or flyers removed so the home doesn’t look empty
Inside the home
- Ceilings, walls, and floors checked for water stains, soft spots, or new cracks
- Under every sink, around toilets, the water heater, the refrigerator, and the washing machine for slow leaks
- Signs of pests, such as droppings, nests, or entry points (with a licensed pest control provider arranged if anything is found)
- Unusual odors, which are often the first sign of a leak, mold, or a pest problem
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors working
Home systems
- Air conditioning running and holding its setting, with the condensate line draining properly
- Indoor humidity checked with a meter, not guessed
- Faucets run and toilets flushed so drain traps don’t dry out
- Electrical panel and major appliances checked visually for anything tripped or malfunctioning
Pool and outdoor equipment
- Water level, pump, and filter working
- Water clarity, since a pool can turn green quickly in summer heat
The Florida Items Most Checklists Miss
Many home watch checklists online are written for colder climates. A Palm Beach County home has different risks.
Humidity is the biggest threat, not cold. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent, to limit mold growth. In a closed-up South Florida home, the air conditioner is what keeps humidity in that range. If it fails, or a power outage shuts it off, humidity can climb quickly. That’s why the AC should be checked on every visit, not once a month.
Water damage has a short window. The EPA notes that wet materials dried within 24 to 48 hours usually won’t grow mold. A slow leak found on a weekly visit can usually be handled before it becomes a mold problem. One found a month later often can’t.
Drains dry out in an empty house. When nobody runs the water for weeks, the water in drain traps evaporates. That can let sewer odors and insects into the home. Running each faucet and flushing each toilet during a visit prevents it.
Hurricane season overlaps with the months owners are away. Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, which is exactly when many seasonal residents are up north.
How Often Should a Vacation Home Be Checked?
In South Florida, weekly is the standard for most seasonal homes. Some homeowners choose every other week, especially in the cooler months, but weekly visits make the most sense from June through November, when heat, humidity, and storms are at their worst.
Frequency matters for two reasons. First, the shorter the gap between visits, the smaller any problem is when it’s found. Second, some homeowners insurance policies have conditions that apply when a home is left unoccupied for an extended period. It’s worth reading your policy, or asking your agent, whether regular documented inspections are expected while you’re away.
Hurricane Season: Before and After the Storm
A vacation home watch plan should include more than routine visits once a storm is on the way.
Before a storm, someone local should secure the property: close or install shutters, bring in patio furniture and anything that could become airborne, and clear gutters and drains.
After a storm, the home should be inspected as soon as it’s safe, even if a regular visit isn’t due. That means checking the roof, windows, screen enclosure, and pool cage for damage, looking inside for water intrusion, and making sure the AC and pool equipment came back on after any power outage. Dated photos from this visit are especially useful if you need to file an insurance claim.
If you’d rather have this handled for you, our hurricane preparation service covers both the before and after.
HOA Rules in Gated Communities
Many Palm Beach County homes sit inside HOA-governed or country club communities, such as PGA National, BallenIsles, and Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens. These communities often have rules on exterior upkeep, landscaping, and when storm shutters can go up or must come down.
An absentee owner can easily miss a violation notice or a rule change. A home watch provider who knows these communities can keep the exterior in line with the rules and let you know if anything from the HOA needs your attention.
Police House Watch vs. a Home Watch Service
Some local police departments, such as the West Palm Beach Police Department’s House Watch program, let residents register when they’ll be away so officers can check on the property periodically. If your city offers a program like this, it’s a good extra layer of security, and worth signing up for.
But it isn’t a substitute for a home watch service. A police check is about security. A home watch visit also covers the inside of the home: leaks, AC, humidity, drains, and pests. It comes with a written report and photos, and someone who can arrange repairs when something is wrong.
What a Good Home Watch Report Should Include
Since you can’t see the home yourself, the report is how you know the visit actually happened and what was found. After every visit, you should receive:
- The date and time of the inspection
- A completed checklist showing what was checked
- Photos of key areas inside and outside the home
- Clear notes on anything that needs attention, and what’s recommended
If a provider can’t show you a sample report, ask why. For more on what to ask before hiring, see our guide to the top questions to ask when hiring a home watch service.
How Our Vacation Home Watch Services Work
Gardens Home Management Services provides vacation home watch services throughout Palm Beach County, from our office in Palm Beach Gardens. We’re licensed, bonded, and insured, and a member of the Florida Home Watch Association.
Every home is different, so we tailor each plan to the property, with weekly or every-other-week inspections. Each visit covers the inside and outside of the home, and you receive a detailed report with photos and notes afterward. If we find a problem, we report it right away and can arrange the repair, whether that’s a pool and spa issue, a handyman fix, or storm damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is vacation home watch?
Vacation home watch is a service where a professional inspects your home on a regular schedule while you’re away, checking for problems like leaks, AC failure, pests, storm damage, or break-ins, and sends you a report after each visit.
How often should a vacation home be inspected in Florida?
Weekly is the standard for most seasonal homes in South Florida, especially from June through November. Every other week can work in cooler months, but longer gaps give small problems time to grow.
What humidity should a vacant Florida home be kept at?
The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent. In South Florida, a working air conditioner is the main way to keep it there.
Is a police house watch program enough?
It’s a helpful security check, but it doesn’t cover the inside of the home, such as leaks, AC, humidity, or pests, and it doesn’t include a written report or repair coordination.
Should I leave my AC on while I’m away?
Yes. In South Florida, turning the AC off in an empty home allows humidity to rise, which can lead to mold. Ask your HVAC technician or home watch provider what setting suits your home.
Keep Your Vacation Home Protected While You’re Away
The homes that come through the off-season with no surprises are the ones being checked consistently, by someone who knows what to look for in this climate. If you’d like a vacation home watch plan for your Palm Beach County property, learn more about our home watch services or request a free consultation.