How To Perform A Rental Property Inspection

When you rent out a property, you lose an aspect of control. You can’t always be there to ensure the property is kept in good shape and nothing is damaged. However, that is why landlords ask for deposits before a tenant moves in and why rental property inspections are conducted at various times. 

A rental property inspection acts as a measure to be sure tenants don’t do anything damaging to your property and act as proof in case they do. They need to be conducted in a particular way for the best protection, and we’ve put together a guide to help you out. 

What is a rental property inspection?

A rental property inspection is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s a service conducted by either a landlord or property manager to see what the condition of a property is like. It can be done before you bring a tenant into the property, but it is usually done with the tenant, so you can both agree on the house's condition and discuss what needs to be done if it doesn’t meet the required standards. 

Some landlords don’t conduct rental inspections enough, but they have the right to perform them regularly as long as they offer enough notice. There may be specific laws surrounding inspections in your local state, but most of the time, you can’t turn up unannounced.

Why are rental property inspections important?

Of course, you want to ensure that your property is kept looking good with no damage when your tenant is living in it. It will save you from spending a ton of money on repairs, especially if the damage is bad. However, the most important part of rental property inspections is that they keep the value of your property up. 

If the condition of your property diminishes, so does the value of your property. This means your investment will be affected, and it may be difficult to get it looking back to its original form without spending thousands of dollars. 

How to appropriately inspect a rental property 

There are four types of rental property inspection:

Move-in inspection

The move-in inspection is the initial walkthrough of the property with the tenant before they start living there. It will be conducted before your tenant officially moves in, but they would have already signed the rental agreement. 

When you conduct your move-in inspection, you’ll want to have a checklist on hand to ensure you’re checking everything. The most important things to include in this checklist are:

• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
• All appliances and electrical outlets
• Walls, floors, and ceilings (including the paint)
• Security of windows and doors

Once the checklist has been filled out, keep a copy for yourself as a record of the property's condition and give one to the tenant as well. 

Quarterly inspection

This is an inspection often skipped by landlords, but they should use them to their advantage to keep the condition of the property at an all-time high. If anything deteriorates in the property during your tenancy’s stay, you will want to handle it before it gets any worse and costs you more money to repair. 

You can choose to do quarterly inspections of an inspection every six months. As long as you are keeping an eye on your property, you’ll be able to ensure the condition of it is being maintained at all times. Just make sure you communicate with your tenants about when you’ll be coming. 

Drive-by inspection

A drive-by inspection is probably the least common inspection, but it can be done if you feel it is needed. It isn’t as formal as the other three inspections, but it allows you to quickly go around the property and see if there is anything you need to work on. 

This type of inspection focuses mainly on the outside of the property, and you don’t necessarily need to go inside. For example, if the front yard isn’t being maintained, you can ask your tenant to handle it. However, make sure you aren’t violating your tenant's rights and that you aren’t trying to go inside without any notice. 

Move-out inspection

The move-out inspection is pretty much the same as the move-in inspection. You will conduct this either after your tenant has moved out or just before they do. You should still have your tenant present with you, so you can communicate with them in case there is anything you think they need to handle before leaving for good. 

You should have your checklist with you from your move-in inspection and any other inspections you have conducted during the tenant’s stay. This should be your most thorough inspection because it is the only time you’ll be able to determine how much you can claim from their security deposit. 

What should you be looking for?

We’ve already touched on some of the things you should look for in the move-in inspection, but there are some basic things on the list that you should look for every time. 

The main things you should look for during a rental property inspection include the following:

• Any missing light fixtures that may need to be replaced
• Chipped paint or any nail holes in the walls
• Cracks or stains on tiled flooring and any rips on carpet
• Doors and windows that no longer work properly
• Dirt behind any appliances or pieces of furniture
• Plumbing problems
• Missing items that were a part of the tenancy agreement

How often should you inspect a rental property?

As we’ve already mentioned, how often you inspect a rental property is up to you. However, you should conduct inspections on a quarterly basis. If you need help reminding yourself that an inspection is due, you can use the Hospiria property management software. It also comes with a pre-written checklist to help you determine what to look for and keep track of what condition it has been in previously.