Property Inspections

BoozyBabe

You may remember I posted a week or so ago about a girl with no references wanting to rent my property.

Well, I've decided to give her a chance, but as she has no references I'm still a little unsure about it.

How often in a year do you think it's acceptable to request a preprty inspection?

Do you think once every 3 months is too much?

Could too much damage already be done in 6 months?

If you were a tenant, would you be p!ssed off at having to let the landlord in every 3 months to view the property?

What I was thinking was:- maybe view the property in 3 months, then at 6 months again & if I was happy, then maybe not until the year mark then.
Perhaps if the tenancy lasted a 2nd year, maybe only view it at the end of the 2nd year again, provided I felt everything was going ok, or maybe once in the middle of the 2nd year.

What you guys think?
It's the girls 1st time living on her own & she's a wee child, so maybe she doesn't even know herself what sort of a house-keeper she'd be!

Any suggestions?

MysticalSoul

It seems reasonable to me. Maybe explain to her, that you are a bit nervous as she hasn't any references etc. I think once a quarter is pretty reasonable, maybe for the first 6 months, and then twice yearly after that. Just my two cents...

K_P

Personally I think once every 3 months would be a bit excessive. If someone is going to wreck the house they could do it in a week, never mind 6 months. But it's the chance you take being a landlord and the vast majority of people out there are decent.

I'd say go with your plan of an inspection at 3 months and then maybe 6 months after that again. Just remember you have to give tenants advance notice of any inspections! Good luck.

How Strange

Good on you BoozyBabe for giving her a chance. I just hope it works out ok and you aren't coming back giving out to us who rooted for her! But I'm sure she will be fine and all she needs is a chance to prove it.

I'd say start with 3 months then six then at the end of first year and then half yearly. Explain to her why you are doing it and I'm sure it will be fine.

Electric

Our landlord comes by every 6 weeks or so to cut the grass and keep the outside tidy. While it isn't a full on inspection (he doesn't look upstairs) he does keep an eye on the place. Plus it's handy for us as we can let him know of anything that needs to be done or fixed.

He always calls a couple of days beforehand and if it's not okay then he reschedules.

It's up to you how much involvement you want in your property. But I would sit down with your new tenant and try to work out some sort of agreement on when you can inspect etc

BoozyBabe

I hope you're right How Strange, or else you'd better watch your back, cos I'll be out to get you!!!!

Everyone deserves 1 chance in life, yea?

That's what I thought re: the inspections, so glad the rest of ye are thinking the same.

Wish me luck!!!!

BoozyBabe

Well, I try to let my tenants just work away on their own, knowing their been trusted, but that I'm only a phone call away should they need anything.

It's just the fact that she doesn't have references etc, is why I'm keen to keep a close eye on the place, yet at the same time, I want to give her her freedom. She's paying me, so she deserves to feel like it's HER place (if you know what I mean) without looking over her shoulder to see if I'm watching her.

There's a tidy towns scheme running in the area, so I pay them to cut the grass as I live 20mins drive away. Carting up a lawnmower & carting home the grass every 6 weeks would be painful.

I think I'll go with the 3 month thing to start with, & re evaluate after that.

Thanks for your help guys.
I feel I'm doing the right thing. Just hope I'm right

How Strange

:eek: I hope so too. I'll lose my stars if I have to change my user name

antoinolachtnai

Personally I would drive by now and again. You will have an idea what's going on from the outside.

Maybe you will realise after a week or two of renting that you forgot something important like dropping by a fire guard or a child-lock for the fridge, and you will have to visit briefly to drop it in.

jdivision

I'd do first inspection after a month, say you're going to be in the area, and then every three to four months thereafter.

Supercell

Once every three months would seriously annoy me.
Do it once maybe after a month , and then at lease renewal time in a year.
Any more than that and I'd consider it overbearing to be honest.
If the tenant is going to be destructive you'll see it after a month for sure - destructive people just live destructive lives and a month is a long time for them!

If your gut instinct is that they are decent people and have lett'd out to them than this should be adequate.

I've never ever been "inspected" every three months in 18 years of renting and would be insulted if someone did that to me after accepting me as a tenant.

For all that, a single young person is going to have single young boys/girls over...might be also worth considering.

Maybe visiting after first month and make an excuse to visit a month later and leave it at that might be a good idea.

philcsl

My parents rent a few houses and inspect some of them 3 times a year. Its in the lease agreement and they give a weeks notice which is more than enough notice.

Once the tennant is aware of it upfront there should be no problem at all, its not to check if the place is neat and tidy it is simply to ensure that there is no major damage like doors hanging off or carpets destroyed.

For any long term tennants they don't even bother as they know they look after the place.

I rent a couple of rooms in my house to friends who I've lived with for years but if I was renting my house to strangers I'd have no qualms about checking it regularly. A security deposit is usually only around a grand or so and if you leave it until the end of the lease there is the possibility that there could be much more damage than that done and its a very lenghty process to try to sue someone for damages after they've moved out.

I rented myself for years and was always annoyed when a landlord wanted to check the house after 6 months but in hindsight I can see why...

the_syco

Longfield wrote: »

Once every three months would seriously annoy me.

Likewise, esp as I would have references. But as the OP's tenant has none, I'd say after the 1st month, then every 3 months, to "ensure that the stuff still works/general upkeep" of the house. I'd view someone with no references the same way I'd treat a 1st year: no mammy & daddy can equal mayhem, or not. You get some mature 1st years, who take care of the place, and you get some who destroy a place, as they're to used to mammy cleaning the house.