How and When Your Property Manager Should Inspect Your Property

As a property manager I know that property inspections are essential to the welfare of your rental. An inspection is the best way to get an idea if the property is being maintained in good shape. It is also a good way to make sure that there is no funny business going on at the property. It gives the property manager the chance to make sure that there are no pets at the property if they aren’t allowed. Give insight to how many people are living at the property and gives a good idea on whether renewing the lease with the tenants is a good idea. Let’s go over some of the main items a property manager should be looking for when inspecting a property. 

Maintenance Issues 

One of the main items that a good property manager will be looking for during the inspection will be any items that need to be address before they become bigger issues. Tenants will report problems to the property manager when they come up, but there may be some issues that may not be as obvious to the tenant that may be overlooked when requesting maintenance. 

A good property manager will check under all sinks to make sure that there are no slow leaks or any signs that there has been a leak recently. If ignored a small leak will only get worse and as time goes on the leak will cause a growing amount of damage to the cabinets, flooring and potentially create a mold issue. During the inspection a property manager should run the water and flush the toilets to see if there are any potential leaks. 

Cosmetic issues should be noted, and your property manager should take pictures of them. Some items can be left un-attended until the current tenants move out as part of the rehab to get the property re-rented to new tenants. Items like chipped paint, damaged trim and baseboards, holes in the walls and other non-detrimental issues can be left to be fixed post move-out. This can save the property owner money by having the option to take it out of the security deposit if it was not damaged prior to move in. 

Property Condition 

One of the main reasons an in-person inspection is done is to get an update on the condition of the property. Your property manager will want to make sure that the property is being taken care of in a manner that it will be quicky rehabbed post move out shortening the vacancy periods after the unit turnover. 

If the property has sprinklers, they will want to make sure that they are still set up automatically and the lawn is being watered on its usual schedule. Cleanliness of the property is something they will want to take into account as well. Overall, your property manager will be looking for any red flags or major issues that will need to be reported back to the property owner immediately. 

Extra Guest / Pets 

Lastly your property manager will want to make sure that the tenants they rented the property out to are the ones that are actually staying at the property. It is rare but not uncommon for family members to apply for a property for their loved ones to make sure they get the unit. An in-person inspection will give your property manager the chance to make sure they people living at the units are the ones that applied. 

Looking for any signs of pets is also one of the main items your property manager should be on the lookout for. If your unit is a non-pet unit then there should be no signs of doggy fences, crates, pet food, or anything else along those lines. Tenants will at times apply for properties and not list that they will have pets living at the unit. This is a good way to find out if there are no pets and give you the opportunity to correct that issue if it exists. 

How often should your property manager be inspecting the unit

Property managers should inspect the unit at least once per lease period. At Loose Leaf Property Management our property managers inspect the unit 90 days after the initial move in date to make sure that the above items are in line. For Loose Leaf Property Management, the second inspection will happen a little bit over 90 days prior to the end of the lease, this is to make sure you get a look at the property before you renew the lease with the current tenants. If the tenant stays, there will be an inspection done at the property once a year usually around the 6-month mark of every lease. 

Property inspections are key to making sure that your property is being kept in good shape. It gives the property manager a good insight on whether the lease should be renewed or not. It’s good to go to the property to make sure there are no issue that will only grow and cost the owner more money if left unattended. Lastly it gives the owner peace of mind, not knowing how your property is being taken care of can cause a lot of stress, a good inspection should take that stress away.