How Often Do You Walk Through Your Rentals?

[Mindy Jensen]

Twice this morning I have read posts where people have asked this question.

How often do you go through your rentals? I have a friend who rents to college kids, and he "offers" to change the furnace filter every month for them. This allows him in the property and he can see firsthand what's going on.

He also mows the lawn every Saturday, which gives him more time with the property. 

Yes, this isn't scalable, and that's not what this question is about.

How often do you or your property management company inspect your properties? Do you write it into the lease that you will inspect this frequently? Do you schedule these inspections far in advance? Inquiring minds want to know!

[Nathan Gesner]

I'm managing over 300 units. My lease states we will inspect every unit once a year with a minimum of 24 hours notice and the reason why we are inspecting. If the tenant is problematic (late rent, noise complaints, not keeping up on the yard) then I'll inspect more often. 

I sometimes have high-risk tenants that warrant more frequent inspections. 

There are also special situations like when a tenant wants to add a pet. I'll inspect before they add the pet to ensure they keep a good home and talk to them about some of the issues common to new pet owners. Then I'll inspect a couple more times after the pet is added to verify it's going well.

In general, I believe in a Tenant's right to quiet enjoyment and keep inspections to a minimum. It's pretty rare that I'm caught by surprise during a move-out inspection.