The Move-In Inspection

In this video we wanted to talk about how PMI Service Group conducts a property Move In Inspection prior to a new tenant move-in. If you are a self-managed landlord and struggling to maintain a professional relationship with boundaries with your tenants, this is one component that can significantly help you manage your properties and tenant inspections.

Move-In Inspection

For any self managed landlords, we thought we'd show how we do a typical move in inspection. Today we're doing a few move in inspections for some properties that have new tenants moving in this week. We want to make sure the tenant experience is a positive experience, but also to protect our owners by documenting the condition of each property at move in. Sometimes, after a tenant moves out years later, the tenant might claim they did not cause certain damage to the home. By thoroughly documenting all aspects of a property, we can use this document and accompanying photos, to settle any debate on who caused the damage. It was either there when the tenant moved in, or it was not. Since our team invests in real estate as well, with our own properties, we're not only looking for things a tenant might be concerned with, we are doing a full inspection for the owner as well.

On this home we're inspecting not only the inside, but the outside. This includes the condition of the lawn and landscaping. If a tenant abuses the property we want to know what it looked like originally. Were there unauthorized changes? We use this information years later to leverage our position should there be a dispute. Additionally, we can see this home is older and providing our owners with information about their home is essential for them to make good decisions. Some owners are out of state and may never see their investment home with their own eyes. So the photos, videos and documents we provide are a great tool for them to understand the financial roadmap to maintain property value and offer value to attract tenants.

For homes with a garage, we are going to ensure proper operation of the garage opener as well as the laser stop and reverse function. If you're managing your own property as a self-managed landlord, safety features should work as designed. Do not skip checking your homes safety features. The garage door is one many owners tend to forget about. Many renters have kids and pets and you want to provide a safe home. If there are additional entry doors to the exterior make sure to check the complete functionality of those doors and any storm doors mounted outside. As we enter the home, we'll check the entry way. make sure the doors close properly, lock effortlessly. The storm door here was mounted incorrectly where the shock limited closing the door and it had to be forced shut. So we had the contractor come back to redo it, we check everything, including if there is any weather stripping to keep cold air out in the wintertime. We use a software on our phone that we pre-program with the layout of each home and all the rooms we need to check, so when we first show up to the property, we are ready to go. We'll begin taking pictures of 100s of little items to document the condition of everything. This home was a full rehab, so almost everything was redone. The owner was very busy and wanted to do the vast majority on his own, hiring his own contractors. During the showings and application process, we had already identified pre-walkthrough items to tidy up and repair. The owner was good about getting that checklist done but we are here to do the final move in inspection. You want to be as close to 100% as possible but applicants also submit questions and concerns as they notice things they'd either like fixed or want to have during their stay.

So we're running all the faucets, checking for leaks. we'll run the hot and the cold, see if the drain plugs up. We prefer the property to have the sewer line rotted out when we take over, but we'll still check the plumbing. again photographs of everything will be taken and included in the move in report for the tenant to sign off. We light all the gas burners, making sure they all start and work as intended. We'll run the oven, the microwave, the dishwasher - all the appliances. When the tenant moves in they will have a certain timeframe to sign off on the move in report. So yes, it will be provided to the tenant. We want them to feel that we are taking care of them, providing a fully functional place to call home, but also realize we will be firm with them at move out and have documentation to prove our position should repairs be necessary. As a self-managed landlord, if you're not doing this with your property and showing the tenant you have a paper trail to document damage, you should strongly consider doing something similar. Imaging this going to court months or years later and only having your opinion. This is an insurance document, in effect. Again, our fiduciary duty is to our owners so we do this for every move in within 2-3 days of the tenant moving in. We'll check all the appliances, take photos of the exterior, the finishes, the interior, verify all the pieces are there. As a self managed landlord will you know 3 years later when a tenant moves out if all your oven racks are present in the home?  We'll also document the label for each appliance so we have the serial numbers, etc should there need to be a repair or question about what appliance is in the home. Believe me, sometimes a tenant will swap an appliance and you'll need to ask yourself, will you even know?

So these appliances are all new but we are still going to check to make sure they function properly. We're already on site, so spend the extra few minutes to ensure working appliances rather than getting a phone call on a weekend because something isn't working and you made a bad assumption. This creates tension and makes the tenant feel you weren't thorough and the home wasn't ready.

Each of the rooms will be fully documented with photos and comments. If there is a mark, or a hole in a wall, we will document that for the tenant and again, they will have a copy of the report so they know we are being honest and transparent with them. We want our owners happy but we also want our tenants happy as well. If you are managing your own property and have an unhappy tenant, will they stay? Unhappy tenants are more likely to leave, creating vacancy and a hole in your income. As an investor you want to make sure your tenants are happy as well. Happy tenants mean long lease terms and no gaps in income. Don't mistreat your tenants!

Again even though the home was a full rehab we'll look at every single window, make sure they open and close easily, the locks work, they were installed correctly. For these, the windows tilt inward to make cleaning them more easy. We'll go through each windows functions to ensure the home has working windows and at night, they lock properly to secure the home.

Bathrooms are all about plumbing, we will flush every toilet in the home, run all the faucets and check the drains and under the sinks for any signs of water leaks. Does the toilet seat close softly? Each an every aspect of each room will be scrutinized. Are there towel rods, are they mounted tight to the wall? Toilet roll holder? Are items like the tub and toilet properly caulked and installed? We prefer 1/4 turn shutoff valves and will make notes for the owner for items we feel can be upgraded for next time.

We're going to take photos of the floors from different angles in each room. the ceiling as well, the light fixtures. We'll test the bathroom vacuum fan to make sure humidity is properly evacuated from the room during showers. Tenants should treat the home as though it is their own. This report is very thorough and a tenant will see every nook and cranny of the home documented. If the tenant allows the shower to leak water past the shower curtain and collect on the floor, we will know about it and charge the tenant. there is no excuse for mistreating the home and we want to document it all. Don't skip this step! More photos is better.

Again, every room has an entry door. Photos of the door surfaces, in and out, for scratches and condition. Photos of the hinges, the door knobs, markings and damage to the door jamb. Document everything. The doors are the most used item in the home. They can get abused by thoughtless tenants. Protect your home and your investment! take photographs of every light switch, each of the four walls, the floors and ceilings in each room. Does the room have lighting in the ceiling? Test all the lights, take photos of chandeliers, ceiling fans, etc. Make sure the fans work. Don't have cheap fans than rattle and make noise. Some items should be given a slightly higher budget for comfort. Add a few dimmer switches. This home has motion lights for the closets to eliminate pull chains. A nice idea. We're going to repeat that process for each bedroom. Pictures pictures pictures. Document the condition of all items clearly. Is the baseboard already scuffed or newly repainted? Are there any large scratches in the wall, floors? Holes in the wall? Reasonable wear and tear cannot be billed to a tenant but an unusual number of nail holes, screws in the walls, damage to paint, scratched floors...you can deduct all these repairs from the security deposit and our lease protects us and our owners.

A move in report like this takes time but we are being thorough. Our owners demand it and we've learned over time this is a necessary and crucial step in maintaining a professional relationship with tenants and keep boundaries firmly understood. You can see we are getting a 360 degree view of the home, outside and in, to document its condition in time. We don't want any surprises from the tenant.

As a rental manager for residential REI-owned and commercial properties, as well as HOA community Associations, we are going to put the same care and level of detail into all properties we manage. If you're in the Western suburbs of Chicago wondering if there's better management out there, please give us a call. We also serve Will County, Kane County and Kendall County. Let's discuss how we can help your portfolio perform! (630) 912-8742