Rental inspections are required to keep your investment home in great condition and be sure that your residents are following the terms of your lease agreement. It’s important to balance your need to inspect with a tenant’s right to privacy and quiet enjoyment, however.
We recommend that you inspect your property at least three times in the course of a tenancy; once before the tenant moves in, after a tenant moves out, and one time while the tenant is occupying your home. This needs to be done professionally, so you’re not inconveniencing your residents and to be sure you’re not missing any deferred or unreported maintenance needs.
Move-In Del Mar Rental Home Inspections
Before a tenant moves into your Del Mar rental property, conduct a thorough inspection to ensure it’s ready for possession. Look for general safety and habitability issues. We recommend:
- Making sure all the doors and windows can open, close, and lock
- Checking smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and air filters
- Looking for loose handrails or boards
- Removing any personal property left in the home
Look for light bulbs that need to be changed and window screens that may need to be replaced. Turn on all faucets and run the water in the tubs. Flush the toilets and test the appliances. Look for leaks or anything that might not work.
This inspection is intended to ensure the home is clean and move-in ready.
It’s also intended to document the condition of the property before tenants take possession.
Create a property condition report to be signed by you and your resident so that all parties agree to the condition of the home at move-in. Take pictures and even videos of everything, including closets and stairs and ceilings.
Move-Out Del Mar Rental Home Inspections
After a tenant moves out, you’ll conduct the same inspection you conducted at the beginning of the lease term. Take your inspection report with you and compare the condition of your property to the way it looked before the tenancy. You may notice damage that’s due to the tenant’s neglect or abuse. There might have been accidental issues that you’ll still want to hold the tenant accountable for.
New pictures will be necessary, especially if you want to demonstrate that something is damaged. If the refrigerator still has food in it, take a photo. If there are large scrapes on the floors that go beyond wear and tear, take pictures of those as well. You’ll need this documentation when you’re making claims against the security deposit.
Walk-Through Inspections During a Tenancy
.jpg)
An inspection during the lease term is a good way to make sure your property is being well-maintained and to see if your tenants are following or violating the lease. Discuss this early; when your tenants are signing the lease. Make sure the inspection is included in the lease. Then, provide your tenants with as much written notice as possible before you go to the property to look around.
Give your residents the option to be present when you’re walking through the home. Take photos of this inspection too, and if the tenant is at home, ask if everything is going well or if there’s anything they need. Look for deferred or unreported maintenance items, and put everything in writing.
There are other opportunities to inspect your property. If a maintenance issue is reported, you can be there when the vendors show up, and this is a good time to take a brief look around. You can also drive by the property from time to time to make sure everything seems to be in order.
Inspections should be frequent but not invasive. It’s about protecting your investment and ensuring your residents are having a pleasant rental experience. We’d be happy to help with this. Contact our Del Mar property management team at Harcourts Avanti.