The purpose of property inspections is to gain a snapshot of the condition of the property at regular intervals. During these inspections, any routine repairs or preventative maintenance may be identified to assist the owner in maintaining the property’s capital growth.
These inspections are also an important way of assessing how the tenant is taking care of the property. While it is not required by legislation for the tenant to present the property in a clean and tidy state, tenants are nevertheless encouraged to do so. Owners tends to place some importance on how their tenants present a property during these inspections as it is a sign of how much care is being taken by the tenants. Repeated unsatisfactory inspections may go against the tenant when the lease renewal time comes around.
Most agents now use specialist inspection software on mobile devices to perform their inspections. They are able to take photos which form part of their report that they send to the Owners.
Owners must understand that Property Managers are not trained builders or specialist contractors (such as electricians). They can only identify maintenance items which are visually apparent, or advised by the tenants as not functioning. If an owner requires a specialist opinion on a maintenance item, they must engage the appropriate contractor to attend and assess.