• Close hallway doors and cellar bulkheads near water pipes. Better yet, insulate the bulkhead door and weather-strip so the door fits tight to prevent  drafts.
• Seal single-glazed windows above a bathroom or kitchen sink.
• Move sofas or other furniture away from baseboards attached to an outside  wall.
• Fix dripping toilets. Water from a dripping second floor toilet may quickly  form an ice block in an exit pipe if it is located on an outside wall.
• On single digit nights, turn up the thermostat if you have vulnerable pipes.
• Insulate or relocate vulnerable pipes that are located too close to outside  walls.
• If it is really cold and you are worried, allow a faucet to drip. This keeps water moving in pipes, but it is only a temporary solution and it can be expensive.

Few events will cause freeze-ups faster than a failed  furnace or boiler system. If your building is going to be vacant for more than a day during the heating season, you can buy devices that will alert friends or neighbors should the boiler fail. One such device is a thermostat-controlled red light that flashes in a window if there is a problem.

If you do have an  emergency freeze-up, the first thing you should do is shut off the water. The main shut-off is usually located at the water meter. If the frozen pipe is accessible and not broken, try thawing it with a blow dryer. Caution: Don't leave the dryer on for more than a few minutes if it doesn't appear to be doing the job. If your plumber is tied up and can't make a timely appearance, you can  get partial use of household water by turning off the valves closest to the frozen or broken pipe. Then, slowly turn on the main water supply. Be ready to shut the main valve again if the leak recurs.

TWO TAX-RELATED  QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Question: We have a three-unit apartment building  and live in one of the units. Are we able to deduct all of the  maintenance cost even though we live in one unit?

Answer: You must track the maintenance costs. If a cost is specifically for one of the units being rented, you can  deduct 100% of that. If a cost is for the apartment that you are living in, that would not be deductible because it is considered your home, which is  personal property and not your business. If it is just a general cost for the  whole property, then basically two thirds or whatever the percentage is, based  on the square footage of the rental units versus the total property, would be deductible.

Question: If I use a room in my  home for an office, is that deductible, and if so, how much?

Answer: This is called a home office deduction. You need to use that room exclusively (100%) for the business.  It can't be used part of the time for an extra bedroom, or for a craft room,  etc. That IRS requirement knocks a lot of people out. Claiming a home office  deduction is a red flag with the IRS. So you want to be on pretty good ground if you want to do it. But, if you are using it exclusively for business, then take  all your pro-rated expense. These would include utilities and mortgage interest  (if any). You must pro-rate the costs based on the square footage of the room to the entire house. You may also calculate depreciation on that part of the house  and depreciate it over 39 years. Before doing this consult with a tax expert because on resale you have to recapture the depreciation as ordinary income  along with the appreciation on that portion.