Property inspections are an important way to keep up with the maintenance issues that may be a surprise at your Prosser rental property. Inspections need to be thorough, detailed, and well-documented.
The things you look for will depend on the type of inspection you’re conducting. A move-in and move-out inspection will have you documenting the condition of the property and making a list of any repairs that are required. A mid-lease inspection will require that you look for any unreported repair issues and potential lease violations.
These are some of the things you should include on every rental inspection checklist.
Logistical Checklist Items: Date and Time
Make sure your checklist reflects the property you’re inspecting as well as the date and time. This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to forget. The information is critical because collecting these inspection checklists and reports allows you to create a sequence of how your property looks at different points in the tenancy.
Check for Safety Issues in your Prosser Rental Home
The first thing on your inspection checklist should always be safety issues. You’re responsible for providing a habitable rental home, and you’ll need to ensure there’s running water and access to electricity.
Checklist items should include:
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- Ensuring doors and windows can open, close, and lock.
- Checking smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and any security systems you have installed.
- Evaluating the exterior lighting to ensure it’s sufficient.
- Testing the handrails to ensure they’re secure and not loose.
Check for Leaks and Potential Water Damage
Next on any good inspection checklist is water. This is important because water can do damage to a property faster than almost anything else. You want to take care of leaks immediately, no matter how minor they seem. Even a dripping faucet can turn into a major leak under the sink that causes rot, mold, and further damage to the property.
Look for areas where water might be getting inside the house from the outside. Spots on walls and ceilings may indicate that a pipe is leaking somewhere. Look under bathroom and kitchen sinks, check tubs and toilets, and make sure you don’t have any water coming in where it shouldn’t.
Check for a Clean and Well-Maintained Property
Cleanliness is another important checklist item.
This can be tricky because everyone has different standards of cleanliness. You don’t want to begin a conflict with your tenants just because they don’t scrub their countertops as well as you do. What you’re looking for is a generally well-kept home. You don’t want to see any trash piling up or evidence of pests and rodents. These things can lead to property damage, and you’ll want to address them with your tenants. If there are pets in the home, make sure they’re being cleaned up after as well. Your pet policy should require this.
Check for Lease Violations
During routine inspections, make sure your tenant is following the terms of the lease agreement. This checklist item can be uncomfortable, especially if you find something wrong. Maybe you did not approve of pets and there are dogs in the backyard. Perhaps walls were painted without your permission. Whatever the issue is, document it and address it with your tenants.
There are just a few of the items that need to be on your inspection checklist. If you’d like some help conducting routine rental inspections or move-in and move-out inspections, please contact us at Real Estate Gladiators. We’d be happy to serve as your Prosser property management partner.
