Mid-term inspections as a Landlord

As a landlord, the purpose of a mid-term of your property is to evaluate the overall condition of the property, both inside and outside, and to check that everything is in working order. It also gives you the opportunity to check that the tenants are following the terms of the tenancy. As a landlord you have the right to enter the premises to view the condition and state of repair, but you must give the tenant 24 hours written notice, and the inspection must be carried out at a reasonable time of day.

One of the main reasons for an inspection is to spot problems early on so that they can be repaired before they grow into much bigger problems that end up costing a lot more to repair. Unfortunately, you cannot always rely on the tenants to report problems. They may report serious issues, but minor ones may go unnoticed or not be considered important enough to trouble the landlord.

An inspection can also help you to build up a relationship with the tenant. It’s an opportunity for the tenant to tell you firsthand any issues that may be on their mind.

Mid-term inspections also allow you to spot activities that are contrary to the tenancy agreement, for example, having pets when none are allowed, or smoking indoors, or converting a sitting room to an extra bedroom. All these, if not allowed by the tenancy, agreement need to be formally brought to the tenant’s attention.

There are also items which are the landlord’s responsibility. These include maintenance of the heating system, the general upkeep of the external aspects of the property including roof drainage and guttering.

So what sorts of things should you be looking for? One of the most important is to check for dampness and mould. Many tenants don’t realise how serious mould can be, so it is worth checking around the windows, sinks, and basins, in particular in rooms which are prone to damp such as bathrooms and kitchens. Explain to the tenants the importance of ventilation to keep damp out.

It is a good idea to check on the pipework hidden away in kitchen units. It is also a good idea to run the taps to check for any leaks and also check the drains outside. In addition, check that extractor fans are working as they should.

Check that smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working.

The property may have a front or rear garden. Is the garden being kept in good order? Are weeds under control?

Of course, when carrying out an inspection you need to make notes so that you can compare everything with the original check-in report, and the best way to do that is to download our free periodic inspection software at Reports2Go.

The software is designed around a quick survey with ‘Yes’/’No’ type responses. The survey covers all the essential items. From that point, each room can be inspected, and condition photographs taken. You can make additional comments and the tenant also has an opportunity to give their comment for each room. In the process of inspecting a room you can identify any necessary maintenance issues. These are brought together in a single table in the document so all required work can be handed over to a maintainer and checked-off.

Once you have completed your inspection, upload from the app to the Reports2Go portal. The report will be ready to download in a few minutes.

Gary, 24 June 2020
Mid-term inspections as a Landlord

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