Keeping your Philadelphia rental property well-maintained is an important part of preserving its condition and increasing its value. Routine inspections will keep your investment in good shape and ensure your residents are taking care of the property and following the requirements of your lease agreement.
Every landlord and management company is different, and the number of inspections you need to conduct will likely depend on the property’s age and condition and whether you trust your tenants are doing what they need to do. A good practice is to ensure you inspect at least three times in the course of a year.
You’ll want to do a move-in inspection and a move-out inspection (or a renewal inspection if your tenant decides to stay in place). You’ll also want to do a routine inspection during the lease period so you can be sure there isn’t any deferred maintenance or lease violations to be concerned with. Provide your tenants with enough notice, and make sure you balance their right to privacy with your right to inspect your investment.
Move-In Philadelphia Rental Property Inspections
The move-in inspection is especially important because it will document the condition of your property before you turn it over to your tenants. This inspection report will be used to determine whether any damage was done at the end of the tenancy, when your residents have moved out and you’re making decisions about the security deposit.
Be as detailed as possible when you’re conducting this inspection. Take pictures of everything, even the floors, the walls, and insides of appliances. These photos are going to be important for documentation purposes, so don’t worry about taking too many. You’ll want pictures and videos that show an accurate and unbiased explanation of the property’s condition. Give your new tenants an opportunity to walk through the property and make their own notes on the inspection checklist. Everyone needs to agree, in writing, to the condition of the home.
Move-Out Philadelphia Rental Property Inspections
During the move-out inspection, you’ll be looking for damage that’s due to neglect, abuse, or misuse. You cannot charge the tenant’s deposit for normal wear and tear, but you can charge for damage that goes beyond regular wear. This is why your inspection is so important. Compare the pictures and the notes you take to those you filed after the move-in process. If something doesn’t look right after a tenant leaves your property, you’ll have the evidence to demonstrate that.
This inspection is also an opportunity to make a list of the work that needs to be done before you re-rent the property to a new tenant. Inspect everything from the plumbing to the appliances. Decide if new paint and updated flooring are necessary. Create the service orders with your vendors as quickly as possible.
If your tenant is choosing to renew the lease, that’s great news. It means fewer turnover and vacancy costs for you. Schedule a renewal inspection so you can make sure everything looks good and check for any necessary maintenance issues.
Maintenance Inspection While Tenants are In Place
Schedule your walk-through inspection between three and six months into the lease period. You can change the air filters, look for leaks under sink, and give the property a thorough check for deferred or unreported maintenance. Since you’re inside the house, you should also take the time to discuss any issues or concerns your tenant might be having. Look for lease violations, too. If you did not approve any pets but you see a huge tub of cat litter in the bathroom, you might want to address it with your tenants.
These are some of the most important things to be concerned with when you’re conducting rental inspections. If you have any questions about how to conduct these, contact us at TCS Management.
TCS Management is a full service property management company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, also serving Cherry Hill, NJ, Wilmington, Delaware and the surrounding areas. We focus on single-family and multifamily residential property management of homes, condos, townhomes, and apartment buildings.
