Pre move in Pics - should I send?

[Josh Engen]

Hello fellow BP Members,

I think the conventional knowledge is that landlords should be taking pre move in pictures to document the condition of the unit. We have always done that. 

My question is, as a best practice, should the landlord be sending these pictures, videos, etc to the tenant prior to them moving in? 

My thought would be, that if they're not sent prior to move in, the tenant could claim that the pictures were not taken right before they moved in and that the unit was in worse shape then the pictures indicated. Granted, I know that's what the move in condition report is for but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words...

if you don't send the pictures prior to move in, do you have another way to prevent this from happening? I.E. somehow time-stamping the photos, emailing them to yourself, etc

P.S. I'm in Washington state in case that would make a difference...

Thanks in advance and happy investing!

[Nathan Gesner]

All pictures are date and time stamped as part of the file. Find a photo file on your computer, right click on it, and select "Properties" to see the date, time, image size, file size, and much more. That information alone should be sufficient evidence.

I do not share my pictures with the tenant before or after, unless they attempt to contest a charge. If a tenant argues that the refrigerator was cleaned and spotless after vacating, I will share pictures showing that they are incorrect. There's almost no value in sharing that information up front.

on another note, I highly recommend you avoid engaging in back-and-forth arguments. When a tenant calls to contest charges, I allow them to speak their peace, then I tell them I will send them instructions for filing an appeal. I send them a form where they can detail specifically what charges they are contesting, and then they are instructed to provide all evidence to support their claims. The form also makes it clear that this is their one opportunity and that I will not engage in back and forth discussion. Once the tenant submits their appeal, which they rarely do, then I consider the evidence they've provided and make my decision. If I have evidence to dispute their evidence, I will send that back with my denial response.

one final note. When a tenant appeals the charges, I let them know that an investigation May reveal additional charges I had originally missed, so requesting a reduced charge may actually result in a greater charge.