Why all tenancies should have inspections
Tenancy inspections are a great way to know if your tenants are happy and your property is being looked after.
A tenancy inspection is a quick visit to the property to check in with your tenants.
It is an opportunity for the landlord or agent to check in with the tenant. As well as allowing the tenant the chance to report any issues that they may be having.
And why should you do them?
You need to see how the tenants are doing.
How is the property?
Is it being looked after?
Are the tenants happy?
Do they have any concerns?
Are there any maintenance issues that the landlord needs to be dealing with?
Are there any issues that the tenant needs to be dealing with?
Often, if a tenant pays their rent on time, a landlord has no reason to see them or the property
at all. But it is still important to visit.
Why do you need to do them?
Tenancy inspections are extremely important when renting out a property.
A minor maintenance job can escalate if left for months and can become a major issue.
If the garden is not maintained for a whole year, it will be a huge task to get it back in order when the tenant leaves.
What if the tenant has decorated? Perhaps they have put up wallpaper or painted every wall a different colour. You need to know that they have done this, but also, they need to know what you expect when they move out. Suppose you explained in the inventory and tenancy agreement at the start of the tenancy that any decorating should be returned to white/magnolia before the tenancy ends. In that case, they will have a huge job on their hands before they leave. If you waited until they left to inform them that it needed to be all white, they would have no chance to redecorate the whole house after they had gone. This will leave you with a huge task, a longer void between tenancies, an enormous deposit claim and will cost them their deposit money. All of that could be prevented if you know what they have done inside the property and can address the expectations long before they have thought about leaving.
If they are not happy with the property because of maintenance issues, they are likely to move out. These maintenance issues could have been resolved easily by you, but not if you don’t know about them. This leaves you with the upheaval of re-marketing and re-referencing, and the tenant has the upheaval of moving to a new property, and it could all have been prevented.
When? - You should make appointments with your tenants at a convenient time for them. Remember you are going into their home, so they will need notice and want to make sure that it is clean and tidy for your visit.
How often? - Start with more visits then as time goes on and if everything is in order you can spread them further apart. As the property is greatly affected by the weather, a visit in every season is optimal to ensure no weather-related issues need to be raised.
What are you looking for? - Predominantly, you are looking for any maintenance tasks that are your responsibility and to highlight to the tenants anything they need to do (preventing condensation, bleeding radiators, garden maintenance etc). You need to make sure that the property is safe and fit for the tenants to live there. A regular visit will show the tenants that you care about looking after the property.
Who? - It doesn’t have to be carried out by the landlords. A managing agent will usually carry out periodic inspections at the property to check on it for you. They will let you know if there are any issues.
Follow up afterwards? - Always confirm in writing after your visit that all is well so that the tenant knows you are happy with the property. If there are any issues that the tenant needs to address, put this in writing too, and give them a reasonable time frame to do so.
Ultimately, the word inspection is not really correct here. It is more accurate to call it a tenancy visit. You are visiting the tenants to check that you are providing them with a safe environment to live in. It also allows the tenants an opportunity to raise any points or issues that they might have with you and the property.
Nobody wants to be inspected, but if you explain that you are not there to inspect, you simply want to make sure that the property you are providing them is fit for purpose, you should put your tenants at ease.
By taking the time to visit the property, you are showing the tenants that you care. You will get to know each other more and more throughout the tenancy, and the trust will build, allowing you both to be honest with each other.
This will create a happy environment for the tenant and encourage them to stay at the property for longer.
It will also give you confidence that they are looking after your property well and that you will not be left with a considerable refurbishment when they do choose to move out.
Please get in touch with our lettings team if you have any questions about carrying out your tenancy visits.
