As a professional property management company serving the Sarasota/ Bradenton and Portland, Oregon areas, we know that move-out inspections are just as important as move-in inspections. We wait to inspect until the tenants move out and hand in the keys. Today, we’re telling you why.
Move-Out Inspections Without the Tenant
When the tenant moves out and hands in the keys, we know they are officially done and out of the property. We don’t do move-out inspections with tenants because almost always, you’ll find the tenants saying that they will come back and do things or clean things up. They will make these promises but not follow through. And by that time, it’s too late. When the tenant hands over the keys, all of the cleaning and repairing should be done. The move-out inspection should only happen after your tenant surrenders the keys and indicates they have done everything they are going to do.Comparing the Move-Out Report to the Move-In Report
At that time, the landlord or property management company can go back into the property and do their inspection. Compare the move-out inspection to the move-in report. This really is a big deal. Getting things right from the start will make a big difference. Whether it’s your screening, lease agreement, or inspections, you have to have a firm starting point so you know what you are going to document. There may be a leak, or a stain the tenant left, and if it’s all documented on the front side, you’re in great shape when they move out.Using Video During Inspections
Great documentation is the first step in the move-out process, and then as adults, you can solve any disputes or problems from there. Video is a great help. For example, tenants of ours recently claimed they paid to have their property professionally cleaned, but our video showed a pizza was still in the microwave, with pizza splatters inside it. Once we showed our tenants that video, they understood that they’d be charged for that cleaning.
