As Canadians, we've collectively agreed on one thing: once summer arrives, we immediately forget winter ever happened.

The snowbanks that swallowed parking spaces. The icy sidewalks that transformed simple walks into obstacle courses. The endless cycle of shovelling, salting and weather alerts.

Gone. At least until November.

Which makes this an odd time to talk about snow clearing. With summer finally here, most residents, property managers and rental housing operators would rather focus on patios than plows.

Yet now may be exactly the right time to think about winter.

The importance of snow clearing

While snow clearing is often viewed as a routine operational expense, new resident research suggests it plays a much larger role in resident satisfaction, leasing decisions, renewals and property reputation than many rental housing providers may realize.

(Author's note: Data referenced in this article includes findings from the Shape Your Space Preference Index, as well as preliminary results from the ongoing Shape Your Space Open Feedback Module and the 2026 Rental Housing Study. The latter two initiatives remain open for participation and continue to build their respondent bases. Findings from those studies should therefore be considered directional until final results are released later this year.)

Residents place a high value on snow clearing

The latest Shape Your Space Preference Index surveyed more than 2,300 Canadians and Americans, including both homeowners and renters, on a wide range of housing preferences.

When asked about fast and reliable snow clearing for sidewalks, walkways and parking areas, 64 per cent expressed a preference for having the service, with 29 per cent ranking it as essential.

For something often categorized as routine maintenance, that represents a significant level of resident interest.

The findings suggest residents increasingly view snow clearing not simply as a property operations issue, but as part of the overall living experience.

Among all respondents, some 60 per cent reported that snow clearing services are currently provided where they live, while approximately 40 per cent said they do not receive the service.

However, providing the service is only part of the equation.

Residents increasingly evaluate how well the service is delivered, particularly during major weather events when accessibility and safety become immediate concerns.

Snow clearing may be more valuable than operators think

One of the more surprising findings from the Shape Your Space Preference Index relates to willingness to pay.

Among respondents who considered snow clearing essential, more than 40 per cent indicated they would pay more for the service. Similar trends emerged among respondents who categorized snow clearing as a nice-to-have amenity.

These findings suggest residents place tangible value on services that improve convenience, safety and accessibility throughout the winter season.

In a competitive rental environment where operators continue to seek meaningful differentiators, that matters.

Early research suggests snow clearing influences leasing decisions

Additional insights are continuing to emerge through the two ongoing research initiatives: Shape Your Space® and the 2026 Rental Housing Study.

Both studies remain in the data collection phase and continue to build their respondent bases. While the findings should be viewed as directional rather than conclusive, the emerging trends are noteworthy.

Among approximately 200 respondents participating in Shape Your Space to date: Nearly 60 per cent said effective snow removal and ice management would greatly influence their decision to rent at a property. More than 20 per cent said it would somewhat influence their decision.

Taken together, roughly four out of five respondents indicated that winter maintenance plays at least some role in their rental decision-making process. That moves snow clearing beyond operations and into the realm of leasing strategy.

Poor snow management may affect renewals and reputation

The same ongoing research explored how poor snow removal affects resident perceptions.

While results remain preliminary, the trends are noteworthy. Nearly 40 per cent of respondents indicated poor snow removal discourages prospective residents from renting. A similar percentage said it negatively influences their desire to renew their lease.

More than 40 per cent said inadequate snow clearing damages the overall image of the property, while approximately 35 per cent believe it negatively affects the reputation of the property management company. For an industry increasingly focused on resident retention and reputation management, those findings deserve attention.

Reputation is a leasing factor

Preliminary findings from the 2026 Rental Housing Study (currently underway across Canada and the United States) show that most residents are satisfied with snow-clearing services at their properties. With more than 15,000 responses collected so far, the study also highlights the importance of brand strength in influencing leasing decisions.

Early findings from the ongoing 2026 Rental Housing Study suggest that building reputation plays an important role in rental decision-making.

When asked about the factors that influenced their choice of rental housing, nearly 50 per cent of respondents said a building’s reputation was essential. Overall, almost 90 per cent indicated that a building’s reputation was either essential or a nice-to-have factor, underscoring the importance of brand strength in the rental decision-making process.

That finding is particularly relevant when considering snow clearing and winter maintenance. While residents may not specifically choose a property because of its snow-clearing program, they often associate operational performance with overall management quality.

Winter maintenance is about more than safety and accessibility. As we saw above it can also influence how residents perceive the reputation of a property and the organization that manages it.

The best time to prepare for winter is summer

The irony is that the most important snow-clearing decisions are rarely made during a snowstorm.

Summer provides an opportunity to evaluate contractor performance, review resident feedback, identify recurring problem areas and ensure service standards align with resident expectations.

For rental housing providers, winter maintenance should no longer be viewed solely as a risk-management exercise. The data suggests it is also a resident experience issue, a leasing consideration and a brand management opportunity.

While nobody wants to think about snow when temperatures are climbing and patios are full, residents will remember how their community performed when winter inevitably returns.

And according to the research, those memories may influence far more than just their satisfaction with snow removal.

Shape Your Space and the 2026 Rental Housing Study will continue collecting responses throughout the coming months, with additional findings expected later this year. It will be interesting to see whether the final results reinforce what the early data already suggests: snow clearing may be an overlooked driver of resident satisfaction, leasing success and property reputation.