As a professional property management company serving the Sarasota/Bradenton and Portland, Oregon areas, we know that move-in inspections are a big deal. A lot of times, we inherit properties from other property management companies, and we discover that move-in inspections were not done. This can cause a lot of problems, especially when it’s time for a tenant to move out, and no one can prove what the property looked like at the beginning of a lease.
The Benefits of a Move-In Checklist
A good move-in inspection includes a move-in checklist. Take a look at everything. Property owners and management companies need to inspect the condition of the home to be sure it’s safe and habitable for the tenants. For tenants, this is important because they don’t want to be blamed for things that are broken or damaged when they move out.
The Benefits of a Move-In Video
At PropM, we do a video that really is fantastic. You’ve heard people say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and we think that a video is worth a million words. We go to the property and take a video of the inside and the outside of the home before a tenant moves in. This works well because a video will capture a lot of stuff you didn’t even know you were capturing - because you’re always recording. This is really crucial.
Comparing Move-In to Move-Out
We have seen lots of problems over the years because move-in inspections weren’t done, or tenants didn’t get back to the management company on what they didn’t expect to be blamed for during the move-out period. If they don’t speak up during this inspection, they are forgoing their right to that claim after they move out. So, this is important for good landlords and good tenants. A responsible landlord will know what’s wrong with the home and repair it before a tenant even moves in.
Document everything you need to be aware of so you can compare the move-in inspection to the move-out inspection. If no one keeps notes or takes pictures and videos, things can get ugly when you’re trying to figure out the condition of a property. This is why we take video.
