The 3 Rental Inspections

[John E Ceisel]

Hello BP!

The way my lease is structured, for the move-in/move-out inspection I have 3 phases:  

1-Move In

2-Pre-Move Out

3-Move Out

As far as legal obligation is concerned (California), the tenant must fill out and sign the move in inspection (1) and the landlord must offer the pre-move out inspection (2) to the tenant - which the tenant(s) can either accept or decline, correct?  

However, where my confusion comes in is with the "final" Move out inspection (3).  Can this be conducted solely by the landlord without offering the tenant to be present?  For whatever reason, my lease has a spot for the tenant(s) signature under the "final" move-out inspection which makes me question whether or not I need sign off from the tenant(s) based on what I log.  

Any feedback/insight is appreciated - thank you BP!

John

[Marcia Maynard]

I don't operate in California, so can't respond to your question directly. However, we've found it beneficial to do periodic inspections during the tenancy (at least once a year, but preferably every 3-6 months), to document the condition over time and to charge for damages and address issues as they occur.

I've seen some standard forms that have a place for tenant signature, but if the tenant choosing not to be present for the final move-out inspection, then the signature would not be required. Just be sure to keep good documentation that demonstrates you've done your part.