As a tenant, you will need to undergo routine property inspections every 3 months.
Whilst it can be uncomfortable to have someone go through your home, there are a few things you can to do to ensure your inspection goes as smoothly as possible. From doing a pre-cleaning to knowing how clean your rental property has to be for the inspection, we’ll guide you through what to expect during the process.
What happens during an inspection?
Routine rental inspections are a simple way for the landlord or property manager to ensure that everything on the property is working properly and being well maintained.
You should be given adequate notice prior to the inspection, allowing you plenty of time to clean and prep your property if necessary. You may choose to be present if you prefer, or the inspection can be conducted in your absence.
During this routine procedure, an inspector will walk through the home and take note of new damages, health and safety issues, or problems that might need repairs.
If new damages are found you could be penalized.
The best way to avoid this is to properly clean and maintain the property.
There are no actual laws when it comes to how long the landlord has for the final inspection, but generally, it shouldn’t take more than an hour.
Pro tip: The real estate agent isn’t allowed to look in cupboards, but they are allowed to inspect the outside to make sure they are in good condition.
Preparing for an inspection
An inspection is usually held once every 3 months, giving you some time to prepare for the next one.
If maintenance issues arise in between inspections, you should inform your landlord or property manager immediately rather than wait for the next one.
This request should be made in writing.
Your landlord will typically give a minimum of 7 days of notice prior to the inspection. During this time, use these tips to whip your property into shape.
1. Focus on areas that landlords worry about
Although it may be your home, the property is a landlord’s investment. As a result, they’ll be looking at it from a financial perspective.
As you clean, focus on areas of the property that will cost the most money for a landlord to replace, including flooring, bathroom fixtures, and kitchen appliances.
Take special care of these and make them shine.
2. Don’t forget external areas
Make a good first impression by tidying up the garden.
Freshly mowed grass makes a far better impression than crumbling pottery and dead plants.
3. Repair minor damages yourself
Are there small scuff marks on the wall or stains on the carpet?
These are the types of repairs that you can fix on your own.
Cover small marks with paint, scrub out stains, or move furniture if needed to cover minor damages and deal with them later.
4. Get pets out of the way
Save stress for both your pets and the inspector by arranging for them to be out of the house during this time.
Pets may get upset by strangers passing through the home, while some agents may be nervous around dogs.
5. Clean the house from top to bottom
You don’t have to present the inspector with a spotless house; the landlord understands that someone is living there.
However, the inspection will run more smoothly without any surface clutter for the agent to sift through.
Give windows a polish and floors a good sweep.
6. Use the inspection to your advantage
If you have ongoing maintenance issues, use the inspection time to bring them up with the agent or landlord.
A running toilet, tricky light fixture, or leaky faucet are all issues that should be addressed. Write down a list of these issues to present to the agent, so that they can be fixed.
After all, a good inspection should be for the landlord’s and tenants’ mutual benefit.
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