Most landlords would love to collect rent month after month without ever having to deal with their tenants again, but if you’re reading this, it’s probably because you need to do one of the most dreaded parts of your job – move-out inspections. No matter how much we all hate doing them, move-out inspections are a critical part of the landlord/tenant relationship and can have a huge impact on whether or not your tenant ends up owing you money at the end of the lease term. Read on to know the basics of move-out inspections.
Why should you do a move-out inspection?
You should do a move-out inspection to make sure that tenants are cleaning up after themselves (and their pets), to ensure that they’re taking care of your property and treating it as though it were their own, and to address any outstanding maintenance issues before you head into your next lease cycle. A move-out inspection is also a great way to hold tenants accountable for damage or problems they might have caused—or at least establish a record should you decide to pursue legal action.
When and how do you conduct an inspection?
It depends on your lease agreement. In most cases, however, you’ll want to perform a move-out inspection of your property within 24 hours after your tenant moves out. Many landlords have tenants sign a move in and move out report; it’s best to present a new one on move out day, which will serve as an inspection checklist.
What should you inspect?
First, it’s important to understand that landlords aren’t required to give a move-out inspection. In fact, a majority of states don’t legally require any sort of inspection upon a tenant’s departure. If you do decide to provide an inspection, however, remember that you should use your judgment in deciding what needs inspecting. For example, if you have a security deposit that is equivalent to three months’ rent and your tenant has been living there for five years, then maybe a thorough inspection isn’t necessary. But if your security deposit is only equivalent to one month’s rent and your tenant has only lived there for one year, then you may want to be more careful about giving things a once-over before accepting their keys.
How do you document your findings?
Whether you’re taking pictures, creating a video, or even just writing down your findings, documenting your inspection is an important aspect of doing a move-out inspection right. Documenting any issues will save you time and money later on in court as well as give you a record that can be used if there are any disputes over damages to be paid. While most states require some sort of documentation for move-out inspections, it’s best to err on the side of caution and document everything.
What are some common things that landlords overlook?
There are plenty of things that landlords can overlook during move-out inspections. We’ve put together a list of some common errors. Take a look at things to be cautious of!
Missing or damaged locks or deadbolts: This is one of those issues where it’s easy to say that won’t happen with my tenants. But you never know when someone might leave something behind and need access back to your property, so always make sure all exterior doors have working locks and deadbolts installed on them.
Damaged appliances: If there’s any damage done to appliances like stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, or washing machines in your rental unit, then you will want to take pictures of these areas before they are removed from your property. This way, if there is any damage caused by moving these items out, then you will be able to deduct money from their security deposit towards fixing this damage.
Damage to walls, floors or ceilings: Any major damage to walls, floors or ceilings should also be photographed before being repaired. You don’t want to end up paying for extensive repairs just because your tenant didn’t tell you about a minor scratch in the wall that was already there prior to their moving in.
Carpet and flooring cleanliness: You should definitely check how clean the carpets and flooring are after your tenant has moved out. While you may not think much of stains on hardwood floors, getting rid of these stains could cost hundreds of dollars. Make sure there aren’t any surprises lurking underneath carpeting or flooring tiles before signing off on an inspection report!
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