Most landlords know they should perform a property inspection when a tenant moves in and out. However, many tenants don’t consider performing routine inspections during any other time.
Be sure to include in your lease the ability to inspect the property regularly. You’ll give the tenant notice and then be able to periodically monitor the condition of your rental property.
Keep reading and learn about all of the benefits you can enjoy when regularly inspecting your rental properties.
1. Protection of Your investment
Your rental property is your investment. Regular property inspections help you monitor the condition of your property and protect its condition. Letting tenants know upfront that you’ll make routine property inspections makes them more likely to treat your property with respect and care.
Regularly inspecting your properties can reduce the severity of repairs and upgrades you’ll need to make. Some renters may find it uncomfortable to have you invade their privacy, so they may not report minor issues. Unfortunately for you, these minor issues can become major repairs if not addressed. Inspections prevent this from happening by allowing you to discover the issues.
2. Reduce Long Term Vacancy
If you don’t perform regular inspections, you may discover an unpleasant condition on your property when a tenant moves out. Now your rental property will sit vacant while you get these issues repaired.
Regular inspections prevent this because you can perform preventative maintenance. Then when one tenant moves out, the property is easily made rent-ready. If more extensive work is required, you can have a contractor ready and reduce the property’s downtime.
3. Manage Liability
As the property owner, you can be held liable when a tenant or one of their guests get hurt. For many landlords, they discover that the injury could have easily been avoided with simple maintenance efforts. If they had only known, they would have performed the necessary tasks.
As the landlord, it’s your responsibility to discover these needs and address them. You can do this with regular property inspections. Look at the condition of the property and look for any issues that present a safety risk.
4. General Awareness
Not every property inspection needs to be an in-depth look at the property. Sometimes, all you need to do is a quick drive-by. You don’t need to let the tenant know since you aren’t entering the property. Just be careful not to do them too often, or you could disrupt the tenant’s enjoyment.
These drive-bys can let you know about unauthorized pets, tenants, or other lease violations. You can then address them with the tenant before things get out of hand.
5. Retain Tenants Longer
Every landlord’s goal is to have quality tenants that stay for the long term. One way you can ensure your tenants want to stay is to be a good landlord.
Show your tenants that you’re a landlord worth having by taking care of the property. You can do this by performing regular inspections that help you address maintenance and repair needs quickly.
Have the Professionals Assist
It takes time to perform property inspections, especially if you own more than one property. You’ll need to give the tenant notice, arrange a suitable day and time, and then spend time doing the inspection.
Working with a property manager can take this task off your plate. Experienced property managers can handle all types of inspections. They have the experience to know what signs to look for that indicate maintenance or repairs are necessary.
Contact our talented team of property managers and let us help you manage the routine inspections of your rental properties.
