The importance of regular routine inspections and the role they play in protecting your asset.
Residential tenancies in QLD are generally being inspected 3-4 times per year, this is in alignment with the current legislation which states that routine inspections can not be carried out more than once every 3 months (unless the tenant agrees in writing).
The purpose of a routine inspection is to ensure that the property is being well cared for and to pick up on any general maintenance, preventative maintenance or health and safety concerns.
General cleanliness throughout the tenancy is a clear indicator on how the tenants may or may not be looking after the property. If items are not regularly cleaned throughout the tenancy, permanent damage can occur making rectification work more expensive at the end of the tenancy. Clear open communication around expectations should be established at the commencement of the tenancy and any issues dealt with promptly as they are picked up in order to ensure the property is being maintained to an acceptable standard throughout the tenancy.
Maintenance is not always reported to the agency and preventative maintenance is generally never on a tenants radar of things to report. During a thorough routine inspection the Property Manager will be on the look out for general maintenance along with any preventable maintenance and recommendations on capital improvements that the owner should be aware of for future budgeting purposes. Surprises for big ticket items aren’t generally ideal and notice is always preferential for planning.
Looking out for any obvious health and safety concerns is also an important task completed at a routine inspection, although it is to be noted that a Property Manager is not a qualified builder or health and safety inspector. If the home is older and especially those with external stairs, raised decks and balustrades it is always advisable to have a qualified building inspector attend to complete a full building/safety report.
A routine inspection report should be issued to the owner either the same day as completion or the next day, alerting the owner to any maintenance items or concerns that require attention. We believe owners should be able to access any current and historical reports throughout the lifetime of their partnership with their managing agent.
A thorough routine inspection will leave the owner empowered and secure in their knowledge as to the current condition of their property and the care taken by their tenants which makes lease renewal decisions easier and future works planning possible.
Open honest transparency leads to a smooth tenancy transaction for both property owners and tenants, we believe both sides of the coin should know where they stand.
Our reporting system allows us to track the condition of the property throughout not just the current tenancy but the entire life-cycle of the property whilst it is in our care. We are able to keep a log of any potential bond claims or preventative maintenance throughout the life-cycle of the tenancy. As well as any improvements made between inspections so as we are able to continue in creating an up to date log of the properties condition.