As a renter, there’s one day every few months when you hold your breath and cross your fingers. Yes, your property manager has arrived for a routine inspection.
In the time leading up to this, you’ve probably been asking, how clean does a rental property need to be for inspection? As a simple answer: “reasonably clean,” with appliances in good working condition.
Before you start wildly imagining your belongings being thrown onto the street, remind yourself that a rental property inspection is a simple process.
A home is an investment, so the owners will want to make sure the space is taken care of and in good condition, and they pay the property management agency to oversee this.
What is a rental property routine inspection for?
Remember – there’s no need to stress! Rental inspections are a routine part of a tenancy agreement.
A rental house inspection (or routine inspection) is conducted to examine the condition of the property and see if anything needs repair, maintenance, or replacement.
So long as you’ve properly maintained your rental, there’s no reason to start packing your bags.
You can even use a property inspection as an opportunity to tell your property manager about any issues such as a strange odour from your pipes or a leaky tap – although we ask that that you follow this up with a written maintenance request.
Our head PM Juanita says “As a previous renter myself, I know how stressful routine inspections can feel, especially when life gets busy! We aim to make this part of our job as hassle free for our renters as possible. We really appreciate when our renters keep the properties neat and tidy as it greatly assists us in being able to assess the property’s condition to ensure that we stay on top of any maintenance, catch any issues early and provide our renters with well-maintained homes.
We don’t expect the skirting boards polished but perhaps put your underwear in the hamper before our visit! Ha ha ha!”
You would be surprised at what some renters leave out on display during routine inspections!
What to expect in a routine inspection?
Generally, your property manager will look out for three things:
- Damages or things in need of repair (e.g. clogged toilets, cracked floors, broken windows)
- Security and safety issues (e.g. locks, fire hazards)
- Overall cleanliness and maintenance
Property managers can only spend a ‘reasonable’ amount of time completing this inspection.
The property owner can also attend along with the property manager.
Katie from our PM Department says “When attending a Routine Inspection, I always look for damages over everything else first. We are not there to tell you how to keep your house but will tell you if something you are doing could be causing damage to the property. We also would appreciate if you could put any intimate items away before we attend.”
What can a property manager / owner look at during an inspection?
They may look over all rooms and outdoor spaces, including any storage areas.
An owner or manager is allowed to open cupboards that came with the rental property.However, they may only inspect for potential damage or maintenance issues.
Property managers won’t be looking thorough your personal items.
The property manager can take photos of the property to provide a report for the owner on the general condition of the property and of any maintenance / repairs – if you have anything that you don’t want photographed please pop it out of sight or let the property manager know. They won’t be taking photos of your personal items.
Do I have to be present at a routine inspection?
Up to you! You can choose to be present or just let the property manager know that they will need to take the office key. Some renters find it stressful being there, others find it stressful not being there.
Jess, also a property manager from our office says “this can be a great time to report larger owner responsibility maintenance items that need doing or could need doing in the future, ask any questions or requests face to face!”
How often do routine inspections happen?
In Victoria routine inspections are completed after the first 3 months from the start of the rental agreement, then every 6 months after that. Renters need to be given at least 7 days’ notice in writing of the booked date.
How clean does the property need to be?
“Clean” is subjective, as you and your property manager may have different standards for what’s “clean enough.” At a minimum, your rental property should be in a presentable state.
There will always be a certain amount of wear and tear over time, but there’s a difference between depreciation and damage!
Your lease also includes outdoor areas, so make sure the garden is also up to scratch. If you have pets make sure they are secured and that all poop is picked up from the yard area.
We don’t expect all renters to be green thumbs, but it is expected that garden and outdoor areas be maintained regularly. When not regularly maintained gardens can be a really big job – often resulting in substantial damage – to get back to the condition they were in when you moved in. A little bit often is the best guide for garden maintenance.
What happens if I forget about the inspection and the house is untidy?
Jess answers this perfectly “No worries! Life happens, my house certainly gets untidy as well. As long as we can access all areas of the house, isn’t an issue at all.”
A rental property inspection is not a measure of your cleaning abilities, so you don’t need to scrub every surface. But you do need to meet certain standards to ensure a smooth stay during your lease.
As always, please get in touch if you have any questions or concerns about any aspect of your rental!