When you are a landlord there are many things that you have to do, but one of the most important is your inventory. Yes, you do a check-in and check-out report, but equally important, and possibly more so, are interim reports.
Why you need to carry out Interim Inspections of
your BTL
When you are a landlord there are many things that you have to do, but one of
the most important is your inventory. Yes, you do a check-in and check-out
report, but equally important, and possibly more so, are interim reports.
An interim condition report is not the most convenient of jobs for any landlord,
but it is one of the most important. So, you should always carry them out. They
help you to spot any maintenance issues that may need attention and that have
not been reported by the tenant. Equally, they are the perfect opportunity to
assess whether your tenants are looking after your property.
How often should you carry out an interim condition report? It
depends. Many landlords or letting agents will do them every
quarter, but it’s fine to downgrade this to every six months if you
have tenants who are following the terms of the tenancy. At the
same time, you need to get the balance right between too
frequent and just right.
When you want to carry out an interim inspection, the law says
that it must be carried out at “reasonable” times of day, and you
must give the tenant 24 hours’ notice in writing. Furthermore, if
someone other than the landlord or agent is going to carry out
the inspection, that person must be authorised in writing.
You can spot Maintenance and Repair issues before
they become Serious
One of the main reasons for carrying out an interim inspection is
that it provides the opportunity to spot any maintenance or
repair issues. While most tenants will report any serious issues,
many of them won’t report little ones – that is if they even spot
them. The result is that a small issue can develop into a much
larger – and much more expensive – one. So, catching these
things early can save a landlord a considerable amount of
money.
An interim inspection also provides the opportunity to assess the living
conditions of your tenants. It also allows you to spot any activities not
consistent with the terms of the tenancy. Some of the best paying