Rental property inspections are a vital part of good property ownership and management. According to the National Center for Healthy Housing, proactive rental inspections can keep you and your tenants safe.
If you own and rent property in Fredericksburg, VA, it's important to understand how to conduct inspections the right way.
Read on for some property inspection tips to help you ensure that every inspection is done as thoroughly as possible.
Start with a Move-in Checklist
The rental inspection and tenant move-in checklist process should start when a new tenant moves in. You can use this checklist to document any damage that you or your tenant notice when both of you walk through the property.
This gives you an opportunity to make repairs now, and it also protects your tenant from being charged for damages they didn't cause. Make sure your new tenant signs and dates the checklist, give them a copy and take photos of any damage.
Schedule Regular Rental Property Inspections
Once your tenant moves in, you should still conduct rental property inspections every so often. Most landlords do this every three to six months, just to confirm that everything is still in good condition.
It's important to note that you should (and must) schedule these inspections with your tenant in advance. Never go into a rental without the express permission of your tenant unless it's an emergency.
Doing these inspections gives you a chance to fix any issues now before they get worse. It's a good idea to include a clause in your lease or tenant agreement explicitly stating that you're planning to do these inspections as scheduled.
Remember Move-Out Inspections
Of course, once your tenant moves out, you'll also want to make sure they complete a move-out inspection checklist. Walk with them to go over everything and ask questions if anything looks out of place.
The move-out inspection list helps you determine if anything needs to be repaired before the next tenant moves in. When the tenant signs the checklist, you're able to deduct the cost of repairs from their deposit before it's returned to them. In Virginia, you have 45 days to return the deposit so make sure you calculate the repair costs quickly.
Do Drive-By Inspections
Another part of good rental property maintenance is doing exterior inspections. You can simply drive by your property any time to see how everything looks from the outside.
These inspections ensure that the structure looks good, the landscaping is in good shape, and that things appear to be clean and safe. Use these inspections to determine if you need to do things like talk to your tenants about trash or change exterior light bulbs.
Protect Your Property with Inspections
Thorough rental property inspections protect you and your tenants. Do these inspections on a regular basis to ensure that issues are addressed as they occur, and not when it's too late.
Gem Realty Group is your trusted partner for property management in Fredericksburg, VA, so contact us today to find out how we can help you.
