Our previous blog on the possible need for more regular property inspections thanks to increased compliance issues, may have got you thinking about the property inspection rotas for your clients.
You may have concerns that more frequent inspections will add stress and responsibility to your job, but with the right preparation they can be beneficial for both landlords and tenants, and therefore your business. Remember that the key aim of the inspection is to keep both parties happy, so understanding how to minimise their intrusiveness and handle them most effectively is key.
1. Preparation, Preparation, Preparation!
Give Adequate Notice
Your first action should be to give adequate notice of the inspection. As we said in the last blog, the inspection frequency should be stipulated in the initial tenancy agreement. That makes it clear to tenants how often you will be visiting and means inspections won’t come as a surprise.
If an inspection hasn’t been scheduled already then tenants need at least 24 hours warning but in Scotland it’s a 48-hour minimum. For the sake of tenant relations it’s best to give as much notice as possible – such as a week – to give them time to get the property ready for inspection and to organise their own diaries if they want to be present.
Notice needs to be served in writing, so while a letter is a more formal way of doing it email and text will allow them to respond faster if your proposed timing doesn’t suit them and they need to rearrange. Remember that you have no right to access their property without giving notice or gaining consent, except in an emergency.
This means a tenant can refuse access. If this is the case you’ll want to get to the bottom of why quickly and calmly. It may be that they have an illness or mental health problem that makes a property inspection the last thing they need right now.
Listen carefully and try to reach a compromise where you can. It can help to remind your tenants that a crucial element of the inspection is ensuring it is a safe environment for them to live in. Similarly, you can point out its role in picking up issues with the property that can then be resolved before turning into a bigger problem –such as leaks or damp issues.
For more guidance see : Understanding Access Rights to Rental Properties
Review the Previous Inspection Before Your Next Visit
You don’t want to go into a property inspection blind, so a refresh of the results of the previous inspection or original check-in report and photos is required. This will help you to understand how the property is being treated and whether there were any issues highlighted previously that now need action.
Check for Any Communication or Works Since the Last Visit
Similarly, you should review any communications with the tenants since the last inspection. Are there any outstanding issues tenants are waiting to hear from you about? Are they happy with any work that may have been done since the last inspection?
The inspection also allows you to check the standard of any work completed by your contractors, even if the tenant hasn’t said anything else about it. This is especially important where you are using the same contractors on multiple properties.
Take a Report/Checklist to Compare Against
You need an efficient way of tracking your inspection tasks so that you can quickly identify if anything needs repair or general maintenance. That might be your checklist or an inventory or inspection app.
In addition, printing out a copy of the report or preparing a checklist of issues and works carried out previously will help you to ensure all concerns are now resolved.
Property inspections are as much about building tenant relationships as they are about discovering potential issues
2. At the Inspection
Be respectful
On arrival at the property do not just let yourself in – be sure to knock/ring the doorbell as the tenant or their family may be in. Once in the property do not touch anything unless you need to and remember that this is the tenant’s home and they have allowed you in. Ask questions if it helps but avoid making any judgements.
Your Core Checks
As well as assessing the general upkeep and wear and tear of the property you are inspecting make sure you include the following checks:
- Security (windows & doors) – check for broken catches and external doors that don’t shut properly
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms – test that these are all working and replace batteries where required
- Electrics – test that lights work, and that wall sockets are not being dangerously overloaded or are damaged
- Plumbing – look for signs of unreported leaks and dripping taps or showers
- Damp and mould – most common in kitchens and bathrooms but also in bedrooms and anywhere a tenant might be drying washing inside without proper ventilation. The musty smell is an obvious sign but look too for dark patches and flaky paintwork.
- Outside space – check the garden is being kept under control and that exterior drains are clear
- Tenancy breaches – look out for evidence of unapproved pets, smoking, overcrowding and subletting
Take Photographs to Document the Property’s Condition
In addition to logging information, you will also want visual documentation of the property. Photographs will help to ensure there are no crossed wires about a property’s condition. However, be mindful of the privacy of your tenants and ensure you don’t capture anything personal – such as photos on a wall or correspondence on a coffee table.
3. What To Do Post-Inspection
Review The Information Collected
Once your inspection is complete you need to analyse what needs to be actioned. Some of the issues can be handled in your role as managing agent. Other more serious issues, such as major repairs, will need discussion with your landlord client.
How much interaction your landlord wants about the property may vary. Preparing an overview summary report about the property and outlining what you will handle and any future recommendations is useful for both your business and your landlords.
Create An Action Plan
Once you’ve put together an action plan to resolve any issues highlighted in the inspection, you’ll need to give the tenants a timescale for their completion. This timescale must be deemed ‘reasonable’.
Don’t Judge Tenants on Their Lifestyle
It’s important to remember that on an inspection your only job as a letting agent is to ensure that properties belonging to your landlord clients are being looked after and that tenants are sticking to their tenancy agreements.
You can highlight behaviours that could cause damage – such as drying washing inside without adequate ventilation. You can also remind them of their tenant responsibilities, such as testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and reporting problems to you in good time. However, whether the property needs a vacuum isn’t important unless it’s causing wider issues that could impact the property – such as attracting vermin.
Schedule The Next Inspection
Once your inspection and your actions are completed you can schedule the next visit in the diary. Remember that property inspections are as much about building tenant relationships as they are about discovering potential issues so use them positively and both your landlords and their tenants will be happy.
This article is intended as a guide only and does not constitute legal advice. If in doubt seek professional legal advice.
Would you like to receive our monthly Newsletter?
* * *
