Rental inspections are a familiar part of your life if you are a tenant renting a property in Australia.
Do you know what to expect and what is expected of you?
From our experience, these inspections can cause quite a lot of stress on the tenants. That’s why we want to help you prepare for them by clarifying the expectation and reason for these inspections.
Generally, property inspections fall into one of these categories:
– first inspection
– regular routine inspection
– final inspection
To provide clarity and to help reduce stress for Tenants, here are some of our top questions on inspections and how to best prepare for them.
What are routine rental inspections?
A routine rental inspection is a visual check of the property conducted by a property manager to ensure that the property is well maintained based on the agreement and conditions stipulated by both parties, Owners and Tenants.
Why are regular routine inspections carried out?
The reason that regular inspections are carried out is:
1) To ensure that the property is being adequately cared for
2) To identify any possible repairs, risks, maintenance issues and address them promptly
Firstly, remember the regular routine are here to help ensure that there are fair mechanisms in place to ensure that the interests of both the Owner and Tenants are considered. Secondly, there may be special conditions as well as legal compliances which need to be carefully checked.
How often are routine inspections carried out?
Routine inspections are usually conducted a few times a year, however, the law regulating this varies from state to state in Australia.
In Western Australia, the Lessor (Owner or Agent) has the right to carry out an inspection no more than 4 times a year. Notice to the Tenant is given between 7 to 14 days for preparation. If there is a repair to be done, only 72 hours’ is needed.
Do I have to be physically present during the inspection?
You are welcome to be physically present during the inspection but this is not required. Inspections are performed during business hours and you are given a time frame between 8.30am to 12.00pm or 12.00pm to 5.00pm. For most properties, the Agent will have a master key to proceed with the inspection.
At times, Tenants are uncertain about the cleanliness requirements and sometimes even how to go about cleaning certain items a proper way. To help, we have incorporated a recommended list of cleaning with the notice of inspection provided. You should not hesitate to contact us and ask us anything in this regard so we can help you prepare well for the inspection.
The general points for an inspection include:
- Is the property clean, tidy and neat?
- Does the garden need mowing or trimming?
- Is the swimming pool clean?
- Are there pets around?
- Is there any damage to the property?
- Does the property comply with the legislation?
- Are there any pest issues?
- Are there any maintenance issues or have they been adequately addressed?
- Are the number of tenants living in the property as per the stipulated agreement?
We have also prepared a Guide to Inspections for some easy to implement suggestions to help you.
How should Tenants prepare for inspections?
In order to ensure that the inspection runs smoothly, here are few things tenants should do:
- Ensure that your contact details are current.
- Ensure that your pets are adequately secured.
- Detail any repair or maintenance issues for notification of a request for maintenance
- Write down any questions that you may have
- If you would like to be present for inspection, contact your Property Manager at least 1 week prior
We hope that we have helped provide clarity on the expectations and the stress that surrounds inspections. In addition, we have prepared a Guide to Inspections to provide further suggestions. If there are further questions or comments, we would love to hear from you on how we can support your rental journey the best way we can.
