If you want to establish a reliable, recurring income, rental properties can be a great choice.
As long as you have tenants, you'll be able to generate money, but you'll need to follow the best practices if you want to maximize your income. Something that you need to make sure you do is conduct rental property inspections. They're vital for ensuring you know what state your properties are in and if you need to carry out any maintenance work.
So how often should a landlord in Smyrna, GA, perform rental property inspections? Keep reading to find out.
Types of Rental Property Inspections
There are different types of inspections you should do for a property, and while they're all to assess its current state, they have slightly different purposes.
The first is a moving-in inspection. You do this before a tenant moves in to assess the current state of the property. Using an inspection checklist you can determine if any work is needed, and you can take note of the current condition the property is in.
When the tenant leaves, you'll do a moving-out inspection. By going through the same checklist, you can check to see if anything is missing or if the tenant has caused any damage. If this is the case, you can use the security deposit to cover the costs of replacements or repairs.
The final type is routine inspections, and you'll do these throughout the tenancy. This involves checking over the property to see if any issues have come up so you can deal with them appropriately.
How Often Should You Inspect a Property?
There are no strict rental property maintenance guidelines that dictate how often you should perform inspections. In most cases, however, landlords either opt for quarterly, semiannual, or annual inspections. You can decide which based on your preference.
While you can inspect a property more frequently than this, it's generally best not to. Tenants have a right to quiet enjoyment of a property, and you'll be breaching this if you constantly disturb them.
It's best to establish a landlord inspection schedule and include it in the lease agreement. This way, tenants will be aware of how often you'll be inspecting the property.
Unlike most states, there is no law regarding giving notice to tenants before inspections. Despite that, it's still best to give at least 24 hours' notice. Turning up unannounced will only harm landlord-tenant relations, which can make them less likely to want to renew their lease.
Even if you've stated in the lease how often you'll be doing inspections, you should still give your tenants notice. It's a simple courtesy that will help maintain better relationships.
How to Inspect a Rental Property
While anyone can perform rental property inspections, most people don't know what to look for. It's best to hire an experienced property manager, as they'll be more thorough and efficient.
PMI Terminus is a full-service Smyrna, GA, property management company. We use the latest technology and have years of experience allowing us to provide the best level of service. Take a look at our residential property management page to find out more about what we do.
