Property Visits/Inspections

[sensible]

Hello All,

After each property visit/inspection we send a report out to landlord. We basically go through a checklist around the building listing any possible faults or anything which can be deemed to be a hazard to the tenants with a view to informing landlords so that they are aware and can act accordingly.

We also have a short disclaimer on said reports stating we are not building experts and we can't garuantee that every fault has been identified.

What we don't want to do is send landlords a list of repairs every three months and generally come across as demanding however we are still duty bound to inform landlords of any potential damages etc.

We also inform them about the state of the gardens, any obvious damages, etc. However our visits are informal, we do not want to come across as dictators to tenants and i have found that often a 'come on chap, keep on top of the garden' type comment is more effective than a snotty letter and a telling off.

What are your thoughts/views on this?

What would you as a landlord expect / would like to find in these reports? and how often? (currently we aim for three monthly reports)

Any input would be appreciated.

[sensible]

Anyone care to comment?

[Poppy35]

Hiya

I am a LA and we too do the same. Similar report stating condition of property, that its being looked after etc. We also report any problems that we see might need attending to (overgrown trees, outside woodwork needing attending to etc).

we do the first visit after 4-6 weeks and thereafter every 3 months - normally after 12 months we would recommend that these are scaled down for certain tenants to twice a year.

[sensible]

Hiya

I am a LA and we too do the same. Similar report stating condition of property, that its being looked after etc. We also report any problems that we see might need attending to (overgrown trees, outside woodwork needing attending to etc).

we do the first visit after 4-6 weeks and thereafter every 3 months - normally after 12 months we would recommend that these are scaled down for certain tenants to twice a year.

Agreed, i think that is the best way to do things. I have thought of scaling down visits for certain tenants too but even though the landlords of said tenants are okay with this my director will not allow it (just in case!)

What do you report on when you mention looking after?

Is it gardens, any obvious damage, do you go through the property with a fine tooth comb?

I concentrate mainly on gardens, kitchens and bathrooms with a quick glance at the rooms. I do not enter bedrooms as i find it makes people feel uncomfortable.

[Poppy35]

We generally dont make comments on how the house is presented as people live differently but we do make comments to both L and T if we feel that the T are causing more wear to the carpets for example by not hoovering.

We do go into bedrooms (no-one seems to mind!) and we also check around the walls, ceilings etc for signs of water ingress, particularly in winter (could mean gutters needs clearing or a more serious problem).

We check outside of house for any probems, recommendations for outside paintwork, tree lopping, missing tiles etc.