As a property owner, make sure to let your tenant be on board with keeping your Boston rental property clean. This is because the value of your property is dependent on its overall condition. But the problem is, some tenants do not have the discipline for cleaning and property maintenance. If you fail to check up on them, you may not know about cleanliness issues until it becomes a much bigger problem.
Regular property inspections are a vital part of your property management process. But among the many aspects of owning rental properties, some methods regarding property inspections may be more effective than others. Knowing why inspections are important, how to create and carry out an inspection schedule, and how to talk with your tenant about cleanliness are all things that a successful property owner needs to know.
Regular property inspections are needed for the following reasons: We can find valuable insights by finding out if the client follows the terms of the lease and catch developing problems early too. Tenants would naturally have different ideas about cleanliness. What some would regard as a dirty house or yard may not be a cause for concern for others. Some tenants would feel that cleanliness in the home is none of your business. But this should definitely not be the case. If you have a “let them be” attitude, a dirty house or yard can lead to serious problems like structural damage, bad odors, pest infestations, and more. If you don’t catch these things early, you might end up with expensive repairs that are beyond the security deposit.
Property inspections are an important part of the maintenance process, therefore it needs to be done in an organized manner. As a property owner, you have several different kinds of inspections in your property management toolbox. The move-in inspection can help you establish a baseline for your property’s condition, helpful if you need to assess wear and tear or property damage later on. Then there are the drive-by inspections, which as the name suggests, allows you to drive by your rental property to check if there are visible issues with the property’s exterior.
But the most important inspections of all are the regular inspections for safety and cleanliness in a property’s interior. A set number of inspections per year is not prescribed. Property owners differ in their frequency in inspecting their units. Some do it annually while others check on their rental house every three or six months. Annual inspections are the most common and are the win-win solution for both parties. Property owners can rightly assess the property’s condition and tenants are spared the undue hardship.
Do not inspect your property too often because these constant intrusions can frustrate your tenant. However, you might be inclined to increase your frequency of visits if there are cleanliness problems during your last inspection, and you would have to continue frequent inspections until you are sure that the tenant is keeping the property clean. The same procedure must be done when you discover your tenant with an unauthorized pet or unauthorized people living in the house. With every inspection, document all your findings with photos and in writing.
Talking to tenants about cleanliness inspections may be tricky but this doesn’t need to be. You can certainly manage tenant’s expectations about property inspections by adding an inspection schedule in the lease. Proper notice must be given to the tenant of your purpose before you visit the property. Establishing good communication with your tenant can make your property inspections much easier for everyone, and help you check the property as needed.
Should there be a need for a tenant to clean the property, the request should be done in writing. By giving a detailed list of tasks to your tenants, your requests are clear to them and they would know exactly what you expect. Just in case it will be needed, include photographs as this creates a strong paper trail for any future legal issues.
Regular property inspections, when done appropriately and routinely, helps drive the tenants to make the rental property clean. When your tenants are aware that you are always on board, this gives them a stronger incentive to keep your property tidy.
Need help coming up with a lease, or maybe you’d rather not deal with your tenants at all? Feel free to reach out to Real Property Management Commonwealth and talk to one of our property managers at 617-299-2342 or contact us online.
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