Rental inspections are a necessary part of Lee’s Summit property management, and you need to ensure they’re consistent and productive. The purpose of inspections are to document the condition of your property, look for any deferred or unreported maintenance issues, and to ensure your tenants are following the requirements of the lease agreement.
You’ll want to conduct a move-in and a move-out inspection at the beginning and end of any lease period. We also recommend an inspection during the tenancy. This gives you an opportunity to see how the resident is treating your property and to talk to your tenant about any issues or concerns they may be having.
There are a few best practices to follow when you’re conducting these inspections.
Lee’s Summit Rental Property Inspections: Look for Maintenance
Maintaining the condition of your asset is an important part of earning money on it. You need to be responsive to any
maintenance
requests that come in, and preventative maintenance will help you anticipate problems and take care of small issues before they become large, expensive emergencies.
Conducting an annual inspection will allow you to check the property for any needed maintenance. Your tenants might not think it’s important to let you know that a sink is leaking or a handrail is loose. There may be some unreported maintenance issues in the home which do require attention.
Go through the property during this inspection and look for any small issues that the tenants may not have noticed or thought were important. Check under sinks and faucets for leaks. Look at the caulking around tubs and toilets. Make sure there isn’t damage to the roof or the gutters from tree branches or leaves. Check the HVAC system. Make sure filters have been changed regularly and check for rust or deterioration around coils and vents.
A property condition report should be produced at the end of each inspection, including photos and notes.
Lee’s Summit Rental Property Inspections: Lease Enforcement
During rental property inspections, you’ll also want to make sure your tenants are following the terms of your lease agreement. This doesn’t mean you don’t trust your tenants; it simply means you are verifying that they are performing the way they agreed to perform.
You don’t want to compromise your tenant’s right to privacy, and there’s no need to show up at the property every couple of weeks trying to take a look around. This is invasive. Instead, put something into your lease agreement that reflects you’ll be inspecting the property at least once during the course of the tenancy.
There’s no reason to anticipate lease violations when you’re working with a well-screened tenant. If you notice pets running around when you never approved pets, discuss this with your tenants. If you notice full ashtrays in the kitchen when this is a non-smoking property, that’s another conversation you’ll have to have. This inspection isn’t intended to catch tenants in the act – you just want to make sure they are respecting the rental contract.
Lee’s Summit Rental Property Inspections: Tenant Retention
If you have any questions about how to conduct a rental property inspection or you need some help with Lee’s Summit property management, please
contact us at Midwest Property Resources.
Since its founding in 2011,
Midwest Property Resources has been innovating property management and leasing in eastern Jackson County, northern Cass County, Missouri as well as Johnson County, KS, serving the communities of Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs, Greenwood, Raymore, Independence, Overland Park, and others that surround them.
