How compliant are your ingoing inspections?

Ingoing inspections are not always the most favoured task from any property management professional, however they are a task that will help to cover you, the property, Owner and the Tenant before and after the course of a tenancy.  

There are now also a variety of apps and technology out there to assist in helping you power through those ingoing inspections and provide the high level of detail and photos that are required. You may just need to trial some of them to figure out which one works seamlessly with your processes.

The ingoing inspection sets the foundation for the tenancy and the condition of the property. We rely on this inspection at the end of the tenancy, so it is vitally important that we get this right from the beginning.

Take a look at your procedure for your ingoing inspections and ensure that you have all bases covered and even a checklist in place to assist in making the process easier.

Some essential steps in this inspection would be:

·      Identify that the property is vacant – you cannot carry out an ingoing inspection for a new tenancy of the property unless the property has been vacated and you have a clear view of all aspects of the property. Also ensure that all cleaning and repairs are complete.

·      Ensure you have all copies required of keys, security swipes and remotes for each of the tenants and a copy for the office.

·      In any properties that may have pools, ensure they are completely compliant with state legislation, registered and correct fencing, signage and security.

·      In furnished properties, take an inventory of the furniture, the condition of each item and the room it is located in including colour, brand and number of items.

·      Check that smoke alarms and light globes are all working and that the property complies with window lock and blind cord safety.

·      Make sure all boxes on the report are complete, where required and that there are descriptions and details are recorded including, size of flaws including any marks, scratches, burn marks, dents and also fixtures such as hooks, screws and nails. Check that all appliances are in good working order and record colours, make, model and serial numbers.

·      Take as many photos as required to cover everything.

·      Explain the condition report in full at the time of issue and on a separate form have the tenant sign off, acknowledging receipt of the report with any other documents they receive. One area of non-compliance that we often find is that teams will have the tenant sign the office copy of the condition report, site unseen and then give them a copy to complete.

·      Follow up with the tenant within 7 days after issue for their returned, signed report and make comparisons to the original report completed by you. If there are any discrepancies in the reports, follow it up with the tenant and handle any identified repairs and maintenance. These should be also followed up with the Owner.

A well prepared ingoing report will protect both the Owner and the Tenant against avoidable issues at the end of the tenancy and may just save you the additional stress.

Heidi Walkinshaw

Senior Coach / Consultant at Real+

0411 747 520 / heidi@realplus.com.au