Many people dream of becoming a landlord at some point in their lives. Renting out your property enables you to have an independent source of income that can improve your standard of living or cushion your transition in case you lose your job or decide to take a break for whichever reason.
Part of being a landlord means having to deal with the comings and goings of tenants. Although some tenants will stay in the same property for years, you may have tenants that are moving in and out more frequently. In such instances, it's important to perform a home inspection immediately after a tenant moves out.
In this situation, you have two options:
- Do you the inspections yourself if you have the knowledge and confidence
- Hire a property manager to take care of all the stress and hassle for you
Importance of Performing an Inspection
There are many important reasons why you should inspect a house after a tenant moves out. These include:
- You can quickly identify any damage caused by the tenant and subtract repair costs from their security deposit
- You will know what repairs need to be carried out before the next tenant moves in
- It helps to avoid any disagreements regarding who caused what damage to the house
4. It can help you to decide if the property needs an upgrade to make it more appealing or to enable you to charge higher rent
How to Perform an Inspection
Inspecting a house doesn't just mean walking in and looking around. There is much more involved and you should a have a system and checklists that help to standardize the process. You should also be taking pictures/video for proof just in case. Some of the things you'll need to do include:
• Look for damaged features, such as walls, locks, or windows
• Assess for potential health risks such as mold
• Clean the property thoroughly, especially the toilets, bathrooms, sinks, and refrigerator
• Check the condition of the utilities, including the heating, plumbing, and electricity
Apart from ensuring everything is in good working condition, you may also want to fix certain cosmetic issues. A loosely hanging lamp may be working, but it won't create the best impression.
Should You Hire a Property Manager?
Many landlords will learn how to carry out an inspection on their own. According to this Long Beach property management company, carrying out these inspections on your own can be challenging in some circumstances and better left to a pro with experience. You may want to hire a professional property manager if:
- You own a lot of rental properties and there's a lot of ground to cover
- You don’t have time to deal with your rental property or properties
- The damage caused by a tenant is substantial
- You suspect the plumbing has internal damage that isn't obvious yet
- You need to check parts of the house that are difficult to access
- You don't want to deal with the stress and hassle of doing this on your own
You have the most legal ground if you find problems with the unit right after a tenant moves out. When in doubt, it doesn't hurt to contact a professional who knows what they are doing and has the right experience doing it. They will make sure this gets done promptly and the right way.
Before you return the security deposit, consider hiring a professional home inspector or property manager to give your unit a good evaluation. Otherwise, be sure to do a detailed walkthrough on your own to identify any issues with the property.
If you haven’t hired a property manager already, click here to learn more about our services and how an experienced property manager can share some of your burdens.
