Inspections on rental properties

[Chris Good]

Do you find benefits with an Inspection process on your rental property from your property manager?  Is this service worth the expense to you?

[Bob Stevens]

Quote from @Chris Good:

Do you find benefits with an Inspection process on your rental property from your property manager?  Is this service worth the expense to you?

 I'm assuming you mean once twice a year, if so, YES of course, 

[Chris B.]

I do these inspections myself, but if I used a property manager, yes, I absolutely would do it.  In fact I have less confidence that a random property manager will fill my property with a good tenant than me doing so myself.  Too many tenants mistreat property.  Damage is expensive to repair and with tenants that don't respect you, it just keeps piling on.  It's a snowball you will pay for when they leave.  Best to inspect mid contract and bill them for negligent or intentional damage immediately and have it promptly repaired.  Do the repairs on their time instead of on your own time when it's empty.  I do maintenance visits every few months until the tenant proves they are trustworthy and with some of mine, it's just once a year now. 

[Logan Laperriere]

It is definitely worth it to have semi annual/annual inspections of rental properties. There are multiple benefits. Finding maintenance issues prior to them becoming a larger problem (water leaks, pipes, roof etc.). You are also able to make sure that your tenants are taking care of your property and check for additional occupants, pets etc. Rental inspections help to keep your properties running smoothly and ensure that they are being well maintained. 

[Adam Bartomeo]

Having someone go through the property every six months is vital to avoid deferred maintenance and to ensure that the tenants are following the rules set forth in the lease. We do not charge for 6 month inspections but if the owner wanted more inspection than we would charge. We often find that tenants have not entered in maintenance concerns, didn't change filters, and even moved in pets. I would recommend having an inspection performed.  

[Michael Smythe]

@Chris Good logically, it depends on the Class of the property/tenant.

Class A property/tenant: annually BEFORE lease renewal, to make sure they are taking care of the property and you want to renew.

Class B property/tenant: at least annually, maybe bi-annually depending on "vibe" from tenant.

Class C property/tenant: at least bi-annually, maybe quarterly. 

Class D property/tenant: good luck...

[Melanie Thomas]

In my opinion, inspections are essential for effective property management. They enable us to document unauthorized occupants, pets, smoking, and various lease violations. Cutting corners in this area is not advisable. Good luck & happy investing!

[Alyssa Wright]

Absolutley! It helps keep the tenants and property safe as well as allows the PM/Owner to be as proactive as possible to catch any issues. We do ours every 6 month's and seem to always find unreported work orders that need to be done that could of turned into massive expenses if left unchecked.