As a landlord, it’s important to conduct periodic inspections of your properties throughout each tenancy to ensure the condition of the interior and exterior of the units are in good order and also to see if your tenants are complying with their lease agreement.
One of the main reasons to inspect your properties is to find any maintenance issues that have not been reported by the tenant. Unfortunately, more often than not, the tenant will only report bigger issues and fail to report on any smaller issues which if not dealt with, may end up being much bigger problems than they needed to be.
The main things to look out for in your property inspection include dampness or mould, signs of any leaks, fixtures & fittings, condition of any furniture provided, utilities like washing machines and dryers are in good working order and any damages done to the property. When determining what constitutes damage, remember to be fair as general wear and tear cannot be classed as damage.
If your property has a garden, make sure it is kept in reasonable order (we can’t expect every tenant to love gardening) and kept free of any rubbish/waste to avoid attracting any pests. If you are in a position where you know a neighbour or two, you could perhaps ask if they have had any issues with your tenants.
Inspections can sometimes be uncomfortable for both parties. Perhaps you don’t have a great relationship with your tenants, or your tenants are just uncomfortable with someone coming into their home. It is important to arrange your inspection in advance at a time convenient to your tenants. If you face a situation where you are denied access to your property by the tenant, you can take your case to the Residential Tenancies Board.
Many landlords choose not to inspect their properties themselves. In this case, letting agents or property management companies are used. A good property management company can provide many services which allow landlords to avoid many of the stressful elements of being a property investor. Property inspections, rent collection, tenant screening, maintenance and much more can all be provided by a reliable property management company like KPM Group.
If you are a landlord in need of any advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with KPM Group today and a member of staff will be happy to help you in any way we can.