Most landlords will agree that inspecting your rental property one to three times each year is acceptable. Some landlords only do this three times during a lease: at move-in, within six months after a move-in, and then again when tenants move out.
Some landlords do not ever inspect their properties at all, and instead, rely on a property management company to handle the task.
Regardless of your inspection schedule, as a landlord, you must give your tenants notice of inspections at least 24 to 48 hours in advance. Below, we’ll explore the pros and cons of different inspection intervals to help you decide how often you want to inspect your rentals.
More Frequent Inspections
The more often you inspect what you own, the better your chances are of catching small issues before they become larger and more expensive problems. This can help to increase trust with your tenants.
Property owners who inspect more frequently, such as once a month or once a quarter, tend to have fewer repairs to make when a tenant moves out, as they can keep an eye on any problematic behaviors from tenants and address them early on.
However, with frequent inspections, you’ll spend a lot of time working, especially if you own several rentals or if you live farther away.
Less Frequent Inspections
Some landlords choose to have their properties inspected every six months or once a year. With fewer inspections of your property, you won’t disturb your tenants as often, which they’ll appreciate. You will save time and money by not taking as many trips out to your properties, too.
Less freQuent visits can mean fewer opportunities to catch any problems before they get out of hand, however. Worst of all, you could find some unpleasant surprises at move-out if you haven’t been keeping tabs on the condition of your property.
Taking the Hassle Out of Rental Inspections
Looking for an easier solution? Contact the team at Reliable Property Management today at 443-869-3799 and let our staff manage your rentals for you! Whether you’re looking for help with regular inspections, maintenance, tenant screening, or marketing your rentals, our team can help!