Rental properties can be great investments, but you need to be ready to put the work in if you want to get the most out of them.
Something you should never skip is rental property inspections. These help you keep track of the state of your properties and you'll know if any work is needed or if there are any other issues. The question is, how often should you do these inspections?
In this guide, we'll take a closer look so you can figure out a suitable rental property inspection timeline. Keep reading for more.
The Importance of Rental Property Inspections
Property maintenance is vital for rental properties. Firstly, you have a legal responsibility to make sure any properties you're renting out are safe and suitable for tenants.
Beyond this, proper rental property maintenance will help keep tenants satisfied. Happy tenants will typically take better care of your property and be more likely to want to renew their lease when it expires. This can reduce periods of vacancy to help ensure you always have a steady flow of income.
Types of Rental Property Inspections
The first inspection you'll do is a moving-in inspection. This is before a tenancy starts, and using a rental property inspection checklist, you can determine the current state of the property.
When a tenancy ends, you can do a moving-out inspection. You'll use the same checklist and inspect the property to see if anything is damaged or missing. In the case that there are any issues, you may need to pay for repairs or replacements out of the tenant's security deposit.
Throughout the tenancy, you can do routine inspections. These are to keep track of the state of the property and determine if there are any issues that need to be dealt with.
Inspection Frequency
Many new landlords are unsure of how often they should do routine inspections. Rental property inspection laws in California don't specify limits on rental property inspections, so this may be down to your discretion. It's highly advised, however, to conduct them at a reasonable frequency that's agreed with your tenants.
When drafting the lease, you should include a section about rental property inspections. It's common for landlords to do them annually, so you might want to opt for this, though some landlords will want to do them more/less frequently.
Bear in mind that tenants have a right to quiet enjoyment of the property. As such, doing inspections more often than required could lead to certain issues.
However, the law does dictate that you must give at least 24 hours' notice, so don't turn up for an inspection unannounced. Ideally, you'll give your tenants even more notice for convenience.
Professional Rental Property Inspections in Tracy, CA
Rental property inspections are important, but many landlords aren't sure how to best go about them. It can be a good idea to entrust this to a professional property manager. They know what to look for during an inspection to ensure nothing is missed.
HBR Rentals is a professional property management company based in Tracy, CA. We offer a full range of services that have earned us plenty of 5-star reviews from happy clients. Take a look at our property management page to find out more about how we can help you.
