Syracuse Snow Removal for Landlords: What Every CNY Property Owner Needs to Know

If you own rental property in Syracuse or anywhere in Central New York, snow isn’t just a seasonal inconvenience. It’s a liability issue, a maintenance headache, and a line item that can wreck your operating budget if you’re not planning for it. Syracuse averages over 120 inches of snow per year, and lake effect systems off Ontario can dump a foot overnight with almost no warning. That’s the reality of being a landlord here. So let’s talk about what you actually need to know to protect yourself, your tenants, and your bottom line.

City of Syracuse Sidewalk Clearing Requirements

The City of Syracuse requires property owners to clear sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall ends. That sounds straightforward, but in practice it gets complicated fast. Lake effect bands can stall over the city for two or three days. When does the clock officially start? The city interprets it as 24 hours after the last measurable accumulation, but code enforcement officers have discretion, and they do write tickets.

The fine for a first offense is relatively small, usually around $50 to $150. But here’s what actually costs you money: if the city sends a crew to clear your sidewalk, they bill you for it, and that bill can run $150 to $300 or more depending on the property frontage. Stack that up across a few properties over a long winter and you’re looking at real money.

For multi-unit buildings, the responsibility falls on the property owner, not the tenants, unless you have a very specific lease provision that assigns it. Even then, the city comes after the owner first. We’ll get into lease language in a minute.

Slip-and-Fall Liability in CNY Freeze/Thaw Cycles

Snow removal is one thing. Ice is another problem entirely. Central New York’s freeze/thaw cycles are brutal. You can get a 45-degree day in February that melts everything, followed by a hard freeze overnight that turns every walkway into a skating rink. This pattern repeats all winter long, and it’s where most slip-and-fall claims originate.

New York follows a “reasonable care” standard for property owners. You don’t have to guarantee perfectly clear walkways at all times, but you do need to show that you’re making consistent, documented efforts. That means salting or sanding regularly, not just plowing once and calling it done.

In Onondaga County, slip-and-fall claims against landlords spike in January and February. Many of these claims involve common areas like shared driveways, parking lots, and entrance steps. Payouts on these claims can range from $10,000 to $100,000 or more depending on the severity of the injury. One broken hip on an icy stairwell can cost more than five years of snow removal contracts.

The key takeaway: document everything. Take photos with timestamps after each clearing. Keep receipts from salt and sand purchases. Log every time your contractor or maintenance crew visits the property. If a claim does get filed, that paper trail is your best defense.

Contractor vs. In-House Plowing: A Real Cost Comparison

This is one of the most common questions we hear from landlords, and the honest answer is that it depends on your portfolio size.

Hiring a Snow Removal Contractor

For a typical single-family or duplex property in Syracuse, seasonal snow removal contracts generally run between $300 and $800 for the driveway and walkways. That usually covers plowing with a per-visit trigger (often 2 inches or more) and may or may not include salting. Salt and sand applications typically cost an additional $30 to $75 per visit.

The upside of a contractor is reliability and liability transfer. If your contractor fails to show up and someone gets hurt, their insurance is on the hook. Make sure you’re getting a certificate of insurance from any snow removal company you hire. No certificate, no contract.

Doing It Yourself or Using In-House Maintenance

If you own three or four properties within a few miles of each other, buying a plow truck or a commercial-grade snowblower starts to make financial sense. A decent used plow truck runs $8,000 to $15,000 in the Syracuse market. A commercial snowblower is $1,500 to $3,000. You’ll also need salt, fuel, and either your own time or a paid maintenance person.

The break-even point for most landlords we work with is around 5 to 8 properties. Below that, contractors are usually cheaper. Above that, in-house equipment pays for itself within two or three seasons.

One thing people forget about: if you’re doing it yourself, you carry all the liability. Your general liability policy needs to explicitly cover snow and ice removal. Call your insurance agent and confirm this before the first flake falls.

Writing Snow Clauses Into Your Leases

A well-written snow clause can save you thousands of dollars and a lot of arguments. Here’s what yours should cover:

• Who is responsible for what. In a single-family rental, you might assign sidewalk and walkway clearing to the tenant while retaining responsibility for the driveway. In a multi-unit, the landlord almost always handles everything. Be explicit.
• Timeframe for clearing. Mirror the city’s 24-hour requirement at minimum. Some landlords require clearing within 12 hours.
• What happens if the tenant doesn’t comply. Include a provision that allows you to hire a contractor and bill the tenant if they fail to clear within the required timeframe. Spell out the charge.
• Vehicle access during plowing. If you hire a plow company, require tenants to move cars from the driveway by a certain time during snow events. This avoids the all-too-common situation where the plow shows up and can’t get in.

Get the lease language reviewed by a local attorney. New York landlord-tenant law has specific requirements about what you can and can’t delegate, and a poorly worded clause won’t hold up if it’s ever challenged.

Insurance Claim Patterns in Onondaga County Winters

We see the same types of claims come through every winter in this area. The big three are slip-and-fall injuries, roof damage from ice dams, and water damage from ice backup. All three are largely preventable with proper maintenance and planning.

A few things worth knowing about how insurers handle winter claims in CNY:

• Many standard landlord policies have a $1,000 to $2,500 deductible on weather-related claims. That means small incidents come entirely out of your pocket.
• Filing multiple winter claims in a short period can trigger a rate increase or even non-renewal. Some carriers in Upstate New York have gotten aggressive about this in recent years.
• Ice dam damage is often excluded or limited under basic policies. If your building has a flat roof or poor attic insulation, make sure your coverage addresses this specifically.

The smartest approach is to invest in prevention and keep your deductible high. A $2,500 deductible with solid maintenance practices will cost you less over time than a $500 deductible with a reactive approach.

Lake Effect, Tug Hill Runoff, and What Makes CNY Different

If you’re managing property in Syracuse, you already know that lake effect snow off Lake Ontario is a different animal than typical winter weather. These bands are narrow and intense. One side of the city can get 18 inches while the other side gets 3. That means you can’t rely on a single weather forecast for your whole portfolio. You need to check conditions at each property, especially if you have units spread across different parts of the county.

Tug Hill Plateau, just north of Syracuse, regularly sees some of the highest snowfall totals east of the Rockies. When that snow melts in early spring, the runoff pushes through creeks and drainage systems across Onondaga County. Basement flooding is a real risk during spring thaw, particularly for properties near Onondaga Creek or in low-lying areas of the city’s north and west sides.

Plan your snow removal budget for at least 25 to 30 plowable events per season. In a heavy lake effect year, you might see 35 or more. Build that cushion into your operating costs so you’re not scrambling in February.

The Bottom Line

Snow removal isn’t glamorous, but in Central New York it’s one of the most important operational decisions a landlord makes each year. Get it wrong and you’re looking at fines, lawsuits, and unhappy tenants. Get it right and it’s just another manageable cost of doing business in a market that rewards landlords who plan ahead.

At RenPro Property Management, we handle snow removal coordination, contractor vetting, lease language, and liability documentation for our clients across the Syracuse metro area. If you’d rather focus on your investment returns and let us worry about the plowing schedule, reach out to our team and let’s talk about how we can help.