Performing regular rental property inspections can help you stay ahead of major repairs and costly replacements in the same way a routine visit with your physician can help you with early detection efforts. It may seem like a time-wasting hassle, especially if your South Atlanta area property is relatively newer or freshly remodeled. But bypassing inspections means missing opportunities to identify problem areas before they become even bigger. Today we’ll highlight why routine rental property inspections are so crucial to protecting your investment.
Find a Leak Before It Becomes a Flood
Scheduling a seasonal or annual home inspection can help you identify small and often hidden leaks. Whether it’s a slow drip in a bathroom sink or a rusty valve on a hot water heater, ignoring these issues can translate to costly water damage. Imagine only having to replace a few pipes or a new valve and paying a plumbing contractor a small fee to do so. Now imagine waiting and not identifying those leaks, only to get the midnight call from your tenants telling you there is standing water because of a component failure.
Safety Hazards Can Be Mitigated
Your rental property may have been safe and up to date with safety guidelines a year ago, but things change. Materials and components within your property have aged, and there could be new safety risks. A home inspection can help you stay current with proper fire extinguisher function and ensure your smoke detectors are in working order. Inspections can also help you identify a loose railing, a broken step, or a failing light fixture, all of which can quickly turn into safety concerns affecting your tenants.
Improving Your Landlord-Tenant Experience
Even if your routine rental property inspections don’t turn up any maintenance issues, the act itself provides value. By scheduling systematic evaluations of your property’s structural, maintenance, and safety components, you send a message to your renters that you care about their living environment. You take the necessary steps to ensure the home they live in functions properly and remains a safe place they can call home. It also affords an opportunity for relationship building and conversation. Your tenants may point out other issues or potential concerns they might have that you can quickly remedy for them. Overall, scheduling these routine inspections can improve the landlord-tenant experience.
When to Schedule a Rental Property Inspection
Don’t be afraid to work with your local Certified Professional Inspector ongoing and schedule inspections for your rental property annually or even seasonally. It’s also a good idea to conduct inspections before new residents move in, often referred to as a “move-in inspection.” Likewise, when renters move out, or “move-out inspections,” you have an opportunity to identify important areas that may require your attention. Fix things before new tenants move in and make necessary replacements upon existing renters moving out to stay ahead of significant repairs or setbacks down the road.
Scheduling routine rental property inspections requires a good portion of your time. Then you’ll have to follow up by contracting professionals to fix the roof, repair the pipes, or to rewire the circuit breaker panel. If you don’t think there are enough hours in the day to keep up with this type of maintenance schedule, you may be ready to partner with a rental property management professional.
Contact us today and let us help you manage everything, from scheduling inspections to facilitating follow-up maintenance contractors. In the end, these inspection measures can help you stay ahead of expensive repairs. And a rental property manager can ensure you don’t miss an opportunity to engage in a little preventative maintenance.
