The hardest part about managing a property isn't the maintenance. A leaky faucet? Broken window? Those are easy fixes.
No, you want to know what the hardest part of property management is?
It's the tenants.
Your property is a rock: steady, reliable, consistent. Tenants, though? Tenants come and go, and even if you put in the due diligence, you can never be certain that they'll treat your property with the necessary care and respect.
Thousands of people are moving to the Salt Lake City area, and they're going to be looking for housing. When they find a place to live, it's important to ensure you don't make any rental property inspection mistakes.
Here are a few common move-in and move-out mistakes to avoid:
Not Writing a Detailed Inspection Report
Even though we all think we have great memory skills, that's frequently not the case. It is vital that landlords and property managers create detailed inspection reports prior to move-in and after move-out.
As we've said before, inspection reports reduce the likelihood of tenants claiming that a problem existed when they moved in. Without an inspection report, it's the landlord's word against the tenant.
With an inspection report though, it's simply a matter of checking to see whose word is correct. No muss, fuss, just facts.
Inspecting with Expectations
Having a pre-conceived idea of how the tenant has treated the property is a major rental property inspection mistake.
If a landlord goes into an inspection expecting to find nothing, they're likely to become much more lenient in their observation. This lax attitude could lead to missing small issues, and a bunch of missed small issues is one big issue.
Any sort of tenant can leave behind damages, from ones you have to evict to all-star tenants and everyone in between.
Not Screening Tenants
As the saying goes, you should never judge a book by its cover. On the surface, a potential tenant may seem perfect.
They've got a nice job, strong references, and a bright smile. Time to sign on the dotted line, right?
Not so fast. Have you checked their credit score yet? Their tax statements and 1099s? Sure, they may have a nice job now, but what about their previous employment history?
You can never be too thorough when screening a potential tenant.
Check out these tenant screening tips to make sure you're evaluating tenants the right way.
It's Incredibly Important to Avoid Rental Property Inspection Mistakes
Avoiding these common rental property inspection mistakes will make the move-in and move-out process easier for both the landlord and the tenant. By having a detailed inspection report, inspecting without expectations, and screening tenants, you can ensure that the moving process is a positive one.
If you are a real estate investor and want to make your property management process a breeze, working with an agency is one of the best things you can do. Contact us today to learn more and get started.
