At Amoso Properties, we don’t charge you anything extra when work needs to be done at your property. When you need a repair, you pay only for the cost of the repair. There are no upcharges or extra fees. Therefore, we have no financial interest in recommending maintenance at your St. Louis rental property that isn’t needed.
We do, however, take our job seriously when it comes to protecting the condition of your investment. Routine home inspections are part of this strategy. When we inspect your home thoroughly and routinely, we’ll save you money on unexpected and deferred maintenance.
Move-In Inspections Document Rental Property Condition
There’s no need to waste money making repairs and fixing damage that isn’t your responsibility. The role of a move-in inspection is to document the condition of your St. Louis rental property. Before you have a resident move into your home, you want to make sure you go through the property carefully. Take a lot of pictures. Write a lot of notes. Make sure there is no uncertainty about what this property looks like.
St. Louis property managers will conduct an inspection that includes:
- An investigation into any last-minute repairs or cleaning that needs to be done before a resident moves in. When you deliver a clean and well-maintained home, you can expect to get one back. Look for leaks, appliances that aren’t working, and lights that won’t turn on. We make a list and have the repairs done immediately.
- Documentation that’s accurate, detailed, and transparent. We’ll make sure we have a clear report that reflects the condition of the property before you hand over the keys to your residents. We’ll take pictures and videos of every detail, including paint condition, floors, doors, walls, ceilings, and closets. All of this documentation will serve you well at the end of the lease.
St. Louis Move-Out Inspections
After the period of occupancy is over and the resident is moving out, you’ll need to do another inspection using the initial report. You’ll be able to see where things have been damaged or neglected. While normal wear and tear is expected and allowed, the pictures you took and the notes you made will help you determine whether anything should be deducted from the security deposit. Resident damage might include broken drawers and cupboards, large holes in walls, scratches in the flooring, torn or stained carpet, and appliances that were broken and misused.
Don’t waste money paying for damage done by the resident. If you’ve done a good job inspecting your property before and after the period of occupancy, you won’t have to pay for anything that is the resident’s responsibility.
Annual Inspections During a Period of Occupancy
Inspecting your property while the resident is in place will save you money in a couple of important ways:
- You won’t have to worry about deferred or unreported maintenance, which is always more expensive than the simple fixes that are made when a problem is first noticed.
- You can make sure the resident is following the terms of the lease and not creating any damage that you’ll have to pay for after they leave.
The mid-lease inspection shouldn’t be a surprise to your residents if you include it in your lease agreement. Mention that you will inspect routinely once a year to check for maintenance issues. A good resident won’t mind.
When you’re at the property, take some pictures and look around for any unreported or deferred maintenance issues. You’ll also want to look for lease violations. If you have a strict no-pet policy and you see cat beds all over the house, you’ll have to discuss this with your renter.
Often, it’s better to leave the inspections in the experienced hands of an experienced St. Louis property manager. We know what to look for and how to hold your residents accountable. If you’d like some help, please contact us at Amoso Properties.
