Have you considered investing in real estate in Orlando, FL? It's a great market, and you'll have no problem finding tenants.
However, just as you want an excellent tenant, you must be the best landlord available. Being a standout landlord provides benefits such as a high lease renewal rate and fewer legal issues.
One of your key responsibilities is to ensure that the property is always maintained to the highest quality. You can do this with rental property inspections.
Read on to learn how often you should conduct rental property inspections.
Rental Property Inspection Laws
There are laws that allow you to enter your property during a tenant's occupancy. These reasons can include entering for maintenance, repairs, and renovation.
Rental property inspections also fall under these laws. However, you must still schedule these at a time convenient for you and your tenant. Never enter the property without informing them or at a time that isn't reasonable.
By law, you should include a clause in your rental agreements to specify when you want to conduct rental property inspections.
Discuss these with your tenants before signing the agreement. Responsible tenants will prefer that you're concerned about property maintenance.
While not mandatory, you should prepare a rental property inspection checklist. This lets you keep track of all potential maintenance issues.
How Often to Conduct Rental Property Inspections
If you have a one-year lease agreement, you should conduct at least four rental property inspections. You can hold one "move-in" inspection and one "move-out" inspection.
The move-in inspection can occur a few days before your tenant arrives. This can help you fix any last-minute issues. You can take pictures of the property as a record of its condition.
The move-out inspection can occur a few days before the tenant leaves. You can also do it on the day they leave if possible. However, make sure the tenant is present during the inspection.
For the move-out inspection, you can inform your tenant if they'll be responsible for paying repair costs, etc.
You can conduct an inspection six months into the tenant's stay. You can then conduct the next one or two months before they leave.
If you feel this isn't enough, you can conduct rental property inspections every three or four months. Make sure you ask a professional to help you prepare a rental property inspection timeline.
While it isn't illegal to have several rental property inspections, it can deter potential tenants. Tenants are entitled to their privacy. Some tenants might feel uncomfortable if the landlord shows up too often.
If your tenants maintain the property well, there isn't a need for frequent inspections. Focus on attracting responsible tenants to keep these inspections to a minimum.
Rental Property Maintenance Matters
Now you know how often to conduct rental property inspections for your Orlando property.
You should conduct at least four inspections during a one-year occupancy. These inspections should happen with a professional inspector and with the tenant present.
Make sure you never conduct too many inspections. This can violate tenant privacy and ruin your relationship with the tenant. You can do this with the help of a property management company.
Bahia Property Management has received many positive reviews from Orlando landlords. We look forward to helping you. Contact us to learn more!
