To keep your rental property healthy, you must perform regular inspections. Think about this: most dentists recommend a cleaning and dental exam every 6-months. This not only gets you to stay on top of your brushing, flossing, and other routine care, but it allows your dentist to make sure your teeth are healthy. Should a small cavity appear, it can be addressed quickly and painlessly. Otherwise, that small cavity could become larger and more painful in time, requiring oral surgery like a root canal.
Inspecting and monitoring your rental property will help you avoid major issues down the road. They not only help you maintain your property but also spark the tenant to show care for the property, as well.
Several different types of inspections occur at various times throughout the term of the lease. During each of the inspections, you will want to document everything with dates, clear notes, and pictures. This will help you maintain a condition report of the property and, if needed, could be used during a legal proceeding.
Here are the four main types of rental property inspections.
This inspection is done at the beginning of a tenancy and often involves a walkthrough by the property management company (or owner) and the new tenant. Everything is documented so that the tenant will not be held liable at the end of the lease.
This inspection occurs immediately after the tenant has vacated the property. Cross checking the move-in inspection report with move-out report, you can see what damage, if any, has been caused that goes beyond normal wear and tear.
Certain types of proactive maintenance occur on a scheduled time frame. These rental property inspections allow you to check up on your tenant’s care of the property while also addressing issues that require maintenance in the upcoming season.
Sometimes taking a drive-by your property allows you to assess its condition. You don’t invade your tenant’s space, but you can still gather an idea of the level of care and overall condition.
Some property managers hold pre-move-out inspections to give the tenant time to cure anything that may be violating the lease term or affect their deposit return. Pre-management inspections are another type of inspection that is common when a management company takes over a new rental property. They inspect all aspects of the property and document it so that everything has already been reported and addressed when the first tenant moves in. Of course, this also ensures that the property itself is in healthy condition for a tenant – and that it is up to code.
Many tenants feel that rental property inspections are a violation of privacy and may be hesitant to allow someone to come through the property. It is crucial that your lease clearly states the details of the inspections.
At the lease signing, be sure to review each term of the lease – and discuss the inspections. This allows for transparency and stresses the importance of following the terms stated within the lease. After all, during the inspections, you will be making sure the tenant is holding up his/her end of the agreement, too.
While there are many reasons you will need to inspect your rental property regularly, we have listed a few of the most important here.
Be proactive with maintenance. As we have already discussed, not addressing some maintenance concerns, such as a minor roof leak, can leave you facing significant repairs down the road.
Pay attention to lease violations. When you are inspecting your property, you are doing so beyond the scope of maintenance. You want to make sure that the tenant is abiding by the lease terms so that your property is in good hands. Because they know you will be inspecting, they have more incentive to follow the terms of the lease.
Increase communication. Again, transparency is essential. If your tenant knows you are monitoring their care of your rental home, then when some issues arise, they are likely to report it. Having a good landlord-tenant relationship is imperative for maintaining quality clients.
Hiring a property manager can take the burden of rental property inspections off of your shoulders. They will take the time to review the property, document the inspection, and often store this info electronically to easily access it in the future. They are familiar with the lease and know what to look for in terms of violations. Also, their experienced team knows preventative maintenance and what needs to be inspected and addressed. Any issues that arise can be handled accordingly to keep your rental property healthy.
It is important to note, however, that not all property managers are the same. When you hire someone to take care of your rental portfolio, you want to make sure you clearly understand the agreement you sign – as well as any fees. Unfortunately, many property managers hide their inspection fees, giving you the impression that it’s a routine service until it happens.
Real Property Management Evolve thrives on providing the best property management service with an honest approach. We know the practices of other property management companies, and that’s why we set the bar high. At RPM Evolve, we stay away from shady practices and only have the best interest of your rental property in mind.
We list the fees for our inspections right on the pricing page of our website! And, depending on your membership, your property inspections may be included.
We believe that regular inspections throughout the length of the lease will help us manage your property the best. By monitoring the health and condition of your property, we are better able to keep it healthy for years to come without leaving you any hefty repair costs. RPM Evolve has a team of experts in their field who know what to look for and how to address it.
Rental property inspections are a necessary part of managing your properties. Avoid significant issues down the road and keep your tenants adhering to the lease terms with these regular inspections. If you want to leave it to the professionals, hire a top property management team – Real Property Management Evolve!
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