Being a landlord can be exciting, but that is not always an easy task. If you are lucky and all your tenants are good people, you have scored a jackpot. It is not always the case. A standard practice in property management is a regular household inspection. There are a couple of reasons it is important to inspect properties and a couple of things to take into account.
Landlords and tenants are both protected under the law. If you are a landlord, inspecting the property is your duty. You need to give at least 24 hours’ notice before you do it, and it must happen at a reasonable hour. Take Care of the Property Inspections are necessary to make sure that your tenants have good living conditions. Even little things can quickly turn into big problems. For example, a leaking pipe can turn into a severe flood if it doesn’t get fixed.
Health hazards like damp and mould need to be dealt with as soon as possible. A broken window might be a small thing. Your tenants will appreciate little things getting fixed too. It might be an investment. But it will save you money in the long run.
Sometimes tenants don’t report problems and then blame the landlord for the damage. If you inspect your properties, you can make sure nothing like that can happen. But, inspection is essential to check on the tenants as well You can check if they are fulfilling their side of the tenancy agreement. Even if residents seem good people, you need to check that there is no illegal activity. Some of the best with paying the rent are the worst when it comes to, for example, growing marijuana in the house or flat.
Protect yourself if you are renting out a furnished property, make an inventory of everything that is on the property. It should be in two copies the same as the tenancy agreement. This way you and your tenant can sign it and each has a copy for reference. While performing the inspection check everything you mentioned in the tenancy agreement. Look at the garden if tenants are looking after it.
Look at how clean the place is and notify the tenant if you think they need to do a better job. Your relationship with your tenant will start with good and upfront communication. It will make it better for both sides, and your tenants will want to rent in the long term. It is easier to have the same tenants for a long time rather than lose time and money looking for new ones.