Standards & condition
What is a property inspection?
A property inspection is a periodic visit during a tenancy to check the condition of the property, identify disrepair, and confirm the property is being occupied as agreed.
Its value is in finding problems while they are small. A leak found at an inspection is a repair; the same leak found at check-out is a dispute about damage and a considerably larger bill.
Access requires notice, and the right to inspect is not a right to enter regardless. A tenant's refusal has to be handled as a tenancy matter rather than by turning up.
The record is what makes it worth doing. Dated notes and photographs build a condition history that both supports a deposit claim and demonstrates a landlord acted on disrepair.
What goes wrong in practice
- Carried out with no record, so the visit proves nothing later.
- Notice requirements not observed, which is itself a breach.
- Disrepair noted and never raised as a job with a date.