How Often Can Landlords Inspect a Rental?

When it comes to conducting rental inspections, it may seem like the task comes with some gray area. Sure, the process seems simple enough, but rental inspections can often feel like an invasion of privacy. In actuality, inspections are an integral part of the landlord-renter relationship and key to maintaining the condition of your property. But how often can a landlord inspect a rental unit, and where should you even begin?

When, why, and how often are just a few of the questions that confront landlords in the process of inspecting their rental property. In order to help shed some light on the subject, we’ve compiled the answers to all your biggest questions concerning rental inspections. 

What Is a Rental Inspection?

A rental inspection is a periodic, documented check of the condition of a rental property. This involves inspecting various aspects of the property, including both the interior and the exterior. Landlords perform rental inspections to assess any wear and tear that has occurred, monitor the state of appliances, and establish a relationship in which both the landlord and renter can work together to maintain the condition of the rental property.  

Why Should You Inspect?

There are a number of reasons why landlords should conduct rental inspections. First and foremost, rental inspections can help to prevent costly damages. By inspecting rental properties, landlords enable themselves to take advantage of the chance to address maintenance issues as well as any renter behavior that could prove detrimental to the property, such as the presence of unauthorized pets or improper use of appliances. By identifying potentially problematic matters early, the landlord can then arrange necessary maintenance or raise concerns with the renter, taking care of any potentially expensive issues before they become larger problems. 

Along these same lines, rental inspections provide landlords with the opportunity to ensure renters are adhering to established policies, including those involving the number of agreed-upon renters or changes to the property. This helps to set an expectation of the condition renters should keep the unit in. When conducted regularly, inspections can help landlords identify any damages that may occur during a rental contract, allowing you to collect any necessary reparations from the renter’s security deposit. To keep everything professional, it’s important that you document these inspections and keep both rental parties informed of any issues observed.

Finally, inspection records can also act as legal documents should anything happen to the property. Think of an inspection as insurance on your investment. By using rental inspections to stay abreast of the property’s needs and on top of upkeep, landlords enable themselves to maintain the rental better, often resulting in fewer servicing costs in the long run.

How Often Should You Inspect?

How often you should inspect the property depends on several factors, including the length of your leases, your relationship with the renter, and any existing issues within the property that may need attention. For example, if you’re leasing property to first-time renters, you may elect to conduct inspections more frequently than if you’re renting to a family who’s been in the property for a few years. When you should inspect the property can also depend on the type of inspection you’re performing. There are typically four different kinds of rental inspections:

• Move-in inspections: Landlords perform these inspections before or when the renter moves in and document any appliances or furniture that come with the property as well as any existing damages. They typically record this information with a checklist or photos. In order to open the lines of communication, landlords generally ask renters to participate in the inspection or confirm and sign the form to document their shared acknowledgment of the property’s condition upon move-in.
• Move-out inspections: These inspections assess the condition of the property at the end of a lease, typically on the day the renter vacates the unit. Often for these inspections, landlords compare the current state of the property to that documented at the time of the move-in inspection. This helps to identify any damages that occurred over the course of the lease and determine if the security deposit should cover any repair expenses. Keep in mind that some wear and tear is natural. You’ll mostly want to note any larger damages you’ll need to address before another renter moves in. 
• Routine inspections: Depending on your preference, these inspections may take place anywhere from every three to six months. These help keep the property in good condition and are important to conduct whether or not you currently have a renter. Use these to take care of routine maintenance, address any renter concerns, and check that renters are following the policies. If you do have a renter, be sure to notify them of the time, process, and purpose of the inspection.
• Passing inspections: Also called drive-by inspections, these checks focus on the exterior of the house and are particularly important with older properties and in areas that see a lot of inclement weather. The purpose of passing inspections is to check for any pressing exterior maintenance or check on renters that have given you cause for concern. For example, if you’ve received noise complaints about a particular property, you may conduct a passing inspection to ensure your renters heeded any warnings. 

Between these four types of checks, you may find yourself inspecting the property every quarter, four months, six months, or annually, depending on how frequently your renter uses the property and your relationship with them.

With each of these inspections, it’s important to keep the renter informed and the lines of communication open. This will keep you from invading your renters’ privacy and help you to establish a relationship of trust in which you both feel comfortable expressing concerns. One way to do this is to include inspections in your lease agreement. Setting this expectation upfront will make the inspection process quick and smooth when the time comes. Be sure to follow your state laws and give your renters advance notice before entering the property. 

How Should You Inspect?

Landlords typically conduct rental inspections one of two ways, either by inspecting the property themselves or hiring a professional. If you choose to hire a professional, be sure to do some research on the company and ask other landlords who they use for their inspections. Just like screening rental applications, this will hopefully help you find someone with a knowledge base and reputation that makes you comfortable entrusting your property to them. 

If you’re inspecting the property yourself, you’ll want to take advantage of an existing inspection checklist or create your own. Whichever you choose, be sure to share it with the renter to give them the opportunity to ask any questions or note any damages they may find. You’ll then include a copy on file with your rental property report. 

Owning a rental property comes with a certain amount of risk. Conduct rental inspections regularly to minimize maintenance costs and protect your property.