As a landlord or tenant about to move into a new rental property, you’ll need to opt for a property inspection. Furthermore, landlords will require a routine property inspection to avoid problems later on, even if the tenants are good.
Additionally, routine inspection will show your tenant how you expect them to keep your property, especially when they want to move out. After all, the way you care about your property will prompt them into doing the same.
A good landlord-tenant relationship involves communication and cooperation, especially regarding rental property inspections.
Investing in rental properties comes with additional risks than purchasing your own home because tenants sometimes damage properties in the house. But when it comes to selling your home fast, so should consider critical aspects. Often, they commit this act unintentionally, leading to potentially higher turnover and more extended vacancy periods.
One best way to protect your renting your property from costly damage by tenants is by conducting regular property inspections. This act helps to preserve your property value while keeping your cash flow healthy.
The following are some tips to help if you’re among those wondering How to Perform a Rental Property Inspection by Short Term Shop. Here you’ll understand how property inspection works and how to carry one out while protecting tenant privacy.
What Is a Rental Property Inspection?
A rental property inspection is an ideal way to keep track of your property’s condition. It entails the property manager or landlord periodically reviewing the building’s interior and exterior to assess the property’s condition.
The tenants must be there during the rental property inspection, so you can inform them of any concerns or issues that arise.
Through the rental inspection, you and the tenant can review the property’s condition before they move in. Furthermore, you can set the expectation on how the tenant should return it while moving out.
Additionally, you could utilize the opportunity to fix any past unnoticed repairs before renting out to a new tenant.
Types of Rental Property Inspections
There are various forms of rental property inspections you can conduct on your property. Each inspection type serves to help identify some issues and prevent minor damages from escalating in your building. Here are some of them:
Move-in Inspection
The landlord usually performs a walk-through or move-in inspection with the tenant after signing the lease but before they move into the house.
However, it’d be best to use a move-in checklist, along with video and photos, to record the present property condition.
The tenant will have to sign the checklist, and it’ll be an addendum to the signed lease. Additionally, a move-in inspection checklist helps distinguish typical damages from unusual ones that you can subtract from the security deposit when the tenant packs out. Investing in property is not easy, but you can try ways to raise capital for property developers. If the tenant stays in your house for a long time, you might have to incorporate an annual rental property inspection checklist.
Move-out Inspection
Your tenant might live in your property for a long time, so there might not be any need to conduct a move-out inspection till they move out. But when they eventually do, you’ll need to perform a move-out inspection the day they pack out of the premises.
If you delay after they’ve vacated the building, they might claim the damage happened after they had left.
Drive-by Inspection
You can conduct a drive-by inspection to examine your property’s exterior at various times of the week, such as weekends and evenings. In this type of assessment, you don’t need to give the tenant prior notice.
Quarterly Inspection
Routine rental inspections occur every few months. You can request more checks if you think your tenants are violating the lease terms and conditions, like having an unauthorized pet or roommate.
Ensure to notify your tenant on time before coming for a routine inspection, seeing as doing otherwise might cause you to default on the rental property inspection laws of your community.
What to Look Out for During Inspections
While inspecting the house, you’ll need to make sure all appliances are working, tubs and sinks drain properly. Ensure to note down any damages even when they appear minor.
Pay attention to your appliances, light fixtures, woodwork, floors, paint, and carpeting’s current state. Check the fans and light switches, and test all devices. Also, open and close every window and door to ensure everything is correctly working.
Your tenant might come back a few days after moving in to report some minor issues that were mistakenly overlooked during the inspection. When this happens, you’ll need to investigate if indeed the damage occurred before they packed in and find ways to fix it. However, to avoid this kind of situation, consider hiring a professional rental property inspection services like The Short Term Shop to conduct a thorough inspection.
Your rental agreement checklist will help ensure your tenant knows the property’s condition when they moved in. Nevertheless, bear in mind that natural wear and tears will occur over the years due to your tenants’ regular use.
Performing a Rental Property Inspection
You’ve got to review the lease’s terms and conditions following inspection scheduling. Depending on the local landlord-tenant law, you can give the tenant a notice period of 48 to 72 hours.
The following are what to do or not do when performing a rental property inspection:
- Give the tenant prior notice before entering the property. You might want to schedule the inspection when the tenant is available. This practice allows them to disclose areas that need repairs.
- Explain before the inspection day the reason for the inspection while reminding them gently that they were notified about the routine assessments when they had their walk-through.
- Ensure to take pictures of the property’s interior and exterior condition. However, don’t take photos of the tenant’s personal items, pets, or children, as this violates their privacy.
- Subtly position the inspection as a win-win for your tenant and yourself. This measure will help to prevent a confrontation between you and your tenant, seeing that you’re portraying your concern over your property’s condition and their well-being by conducting the inspection.
Conclusion
Having a rental property comes with various risks, like rent turnover, evictions, prolonged vacancies, and property damage. Nevertheless, one best way to protect your asset from costly damages is to perform a thorough tenant inspection.
So if you’re wondering how to perform a rental property inspection, you have the answer. The sole aim is to protect your assets and yourself too. Additionally, you can retain some or all the tenants’ security deposits to pay for repairs.
