Why Mid-Term Property Inspections are important
Sunday 2nd July 2023
Doing an inventory at the start of the tenancy and a Check-Out at the end, is not sufficient. Although they are extremely detailed and are there to help a landlord to be reimbursed for any damages caused by the tenants, these reports are not always beneficial on their own.
A mid-term or periodic inspection report is always overlooked or neglected. They are great for supporting a successful tenancy. These reports are constructed through a property visit that is carried out by our Property Managers.
It is recommended that such inspections take place every 6 months, or on some rare cases, every 4 months. These visits are quick, non-intrusive and a legal way of inspecting the properties you manage. They can be done with or without tenants being at home, with their permission of course.
We have put together 5 reasons as to why we highly advise you to have a Mid-Term Property Inspection carried out at your property.
1. Check the AST agreement is not being breached
Although we will check for any damage and the way in which the property is being maintened (cleaning issues if any), there are other fundamental aspects we look for during a mid-term inspection. We look for signs of sub-letting, unauthorised pets, smoking and any illegal activities. In the event that these come to light, they would be a breach of the tenancy agreement.
2. Reduce risk of damage
A mid-term inspection will enable the Property Manager to see if there are any issues that may not have been reported by the tenants, which they may regard as 'not an issue', although our professional PM's are aware of the first signs of deterioration and to take the adequate steps to carry out repairs to avoid further damage being caused. Our PM's will also look for signs of damp developing in a bathroom or bedroom.
Tenants are not always cooperative and will not bring everything to our attention. We have had instances where our PM's discovered a leak in a property which had been there during the previous tenancy and was never reported to us by the outgoing tenants. What started out as a small and easy fix, turned into an insurance claim.
We issue the inspection report the same day. It will look similar to an inventory report though it will not be as detailed and as lengthy. The report will have comments, suggestions and photographic evidence. Urgent issues will be brought to your attention immediately and recommended actions will be highlighted. This will ensure that all urgent matters will be dealt with immediately as to avoid it escalating and becoming more costly if neglected.
3. Meet with tenants and improve tenant/agent relationship
During the tenancy, our PM's will have ongoing communication with tenants via phone and email and will have built a report with them during the course of the tenancy. It's not always possible to attend a property when issues are raised unless in the event of an emergency, therefore our PM's will not have met the tenants in person. Therefore, our mid-term inspections allow both parties to meet in person and build a somewhat stronger relationship now that they have put a face to a name.
Tenants being present for a mid-term property inspection is an added bonus although due to work commitments, it may not always be the case that tenants will be at home. Should this be the case, your dedicated PM will make contact with the tenant/s prior to the inspection taking place, and will give them an opportunity to highlight any issues that they may have come across some of which may not have been brought to our attention for whatever reason. When the PM attends the property, these issues will be assessed in person and comments will made on the report where applicable. Listening to tenants is extremely important for us, as we feel that this will have a positive effect on how tenants view the service they are receiving and will be more inclined to cooperate more frequently.
4. Save time & money
If you are someone who has multiple properties, it may not always be possible for you to carry out your own inspection for each and every one of your properties. The time it would take to visit each property and then create an individual report for each property will be rather time-consuming.
You have to take into account the time it will take to communicate to your tenants at each of your properties about arranging a suitable day/time to attend for a property inspection.
By allowing a managing agent to do this for you, will save you a lot of time and money. Should you only wish to pay for a mid-term inspection service on its own, you will be required to provide the agent with the adequate information so that such service can be executed as smoothly and professionally as possible.
5. Tenants on holiday/empty property
Regular property visits can help with managing the condition of empty properties or where tenants have gone on holiday for a long period of time. Adverse weather conditions can cause more problems for a property which is unoccupied as of course there is nobody home to assess and report these issues.
If windows get broken or fences damaged, this will cause a security issue to your property and possibly the neighbouring flat. Therefore, it is important that your property is inspected during times where the property is empty or untenanted.