A Guide to Routine Property Inspections
Tips to help you prepare for routine property inspections - how to run them, how often, and how to record results.
Tips to help you prepare for routine property inspections - how to run them, how often, and how to record results.
It is important to conduct regular rental inspections of your rental property during the term of a tenancy. Identifying small issues early on can save major headaches later on.
It can also be a good opportunity for your tenant to raise any concerns they might have or to show you things that need to be fixed. We have created a condition report rental inspection checklist and guide for landlord property inspections. If you decide you'd like someone else to conduct the inspection on your behalf, we also provide access to a service where you can book a professional who can complete the report for you.
In this article you'll find out the answers to the most common questions about Routine Inspections and you'll see a link below to register for a demo:
A routine inspection (or a landlord property inspection) is conducted throughout the lease period to ensure there is no damage or other issues in the rental property.
The person conducting the property should respect that someone lives in the property and it is not a judgement on how tidy surfaces are, but rather to ensure the property is kept in a clean state and there is no damage.
These inspections are also about rental safety, and should be conducted with respect to tenants rights. Often a routine inspection will uncover an item that may be damaged or needs attention. In this instance further action may be required and you can read more about how to deal with repairs and maintenance here.
We would recommend performing a routine inspection of your property at least twice a year to ensure the property is well maintained by the tenant.
Each state has its own regulations on how often landlords are allowed to conduct routine inspections:
Each state has its own regulations around the minimum notice period to give a tenant prior to a real estate inspection:
Make sure you follow the rules relevant to your state by issuing a property inspection notice to your tenant.
Inside
Outside
It is a good idea to write a brief report summarising the condition of the property and any areas of concern that you might have identified. There are a number of templates available for doing this.
We have recently digitised the condition report process, so you’ll now be able to create a condition report for your property on the RentBetter site, send it to your tenant for signing, and then save it in the my documents section.
We know how painful this report can be to create, so there are a number of features to help accelerate the process and ensure that you can keep updating the report each time a tenant enters and exits the property.
If you haven't made the switch to self-managing on the RentBetter platform, we can still offer you some tips:
We recommend minimising the effort of this process by switching to the RentBetter management platform, giving you a centralised portal for all of your property information.
If you are satisfied with the condition of the property, send your tenants a short thank you email or text and file your report away for safekeeping.
If repairs need to be ordered, engage the right professionals to have damage taken care of as soon as possible.
If the tenants are not keeping the property to your standard, you can raise it with them at the inspection or follow up with written instructions post-inspection. This might outline specific steps you wish them to follow in maintaining the property.
If, at your next inspection, you are still not satisfied with the condition then you may need to look into whether the tenant is in breach of their duties under the lease agreement. You will need to look at the terms of the lease and consult the relevant state government authority.
Yes! On RentBetter, you can hire a trusted professional who can complete a Condition Report on your behalf. Perfect for saving you valuable time but also great for those who are not able to be in the location of their property.
We’ve made it easy to book directly through the platform when the time comes. It’s a stress-free way to ensure you get the task done on time, accurately and with ease.
We have partnered with professional inspectors that provide comprehensive inspections for your property following the Australian recognised standards. You can rest easy knowing that things are in the safest hands.
It’s simple to book directly online with RentBetter. The details of your property are automatically populated, all you need to do is fill in the inspection form details and away you go. We’ll be in touch to confirm the details of the booking ASAP.
Need the inspection done quickly? That’s no problem. Booking requests are responded to within 24 hours so we can ensure you get the job done fast.
We know sometimes it’s hard to be at your property in person, whether you don’t live in the same location or life just gets in the way. There’s no need to lift a finger – everything will be taken care of for you. All you need to do is sign it at the end! (digitally).
Learn how the RentBetter platform can help you self-manage your rental property. Register below to watch the demo video.