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A Landlord's Guide to Rental Property Inspections

System - Thursday, August 19, 2021

As a landlord, you always hope that tenants will treat your properties in the same manner in which they would treat their own: with care and respect. Of course, this is not always the case. Even when special care is taken, accidents happen—property can be damaged in a number of different ways.

This is why it is important to go carry out rental property inspections on a regular basis. Some landlords choose to undertake this task only when a tenant is moving out, to see whether they will be eligible to receive their full deposit back. Others prefer to carry out inspections at periodic intervals, to ensure the tenancy is going well.

Whenever you choose to conduct them, it's important to know how. Read on for some tips on carrying out an efficient and comprehensive rental property inspection.

Try to Have the Tenant Be Present

Having the tenant or tenants present during the inspection is a good idea for a number of reasons. It allows you both to have the chance to address any issues or flaws that show up. It also gives your tenant peace of mind that you're handling the inspection in a fair and above-board manner.

If it is a move-in inspection, you and your new tenant will be able to go over the property together. They can voice any issues they have, and you can both clearly see what condition the property is in. This way, you'll both be clear on how the property should appear when they are eventually moving out.

Make sure to give an appropriate amount of notice to your tenant before conducting the inspection. This will give them a chance to prepare the home for inspection. It's also a legal requirement in many states.

Be as Thorough as Possible

When you're performing your inspection, be as exhaustive as you can. Inspect both the interior and exterior of the property, as well as any land or out-buildings it may have. Check things like plug sockets and light switches in each room.

Make sure the windows and doors are all opening and closing as normal. With your tenant's permission, open up cabinets and drawers to make sure they are all ok.

You might also want to take photographs when you conduct your inspection. This is good to have for reference purposes, but it can also come in handy if you do get into any kind of legal dispute with your tenants down the line.

When you are finished, you can create a short report about your findings. It can help to have a checklist with you so that you can easily tick things off as you go.

Rental Property Inspections Made Easy

If you want to regularly inspect your rental property, and you have more than one, this can become a time-consuming and laborious task. If you want to take the pain out of rental property inspections, why not hire a competent, experienced, and professional property management company to help? Get in touch today to see how we can make managing your properties a breeze.