You don’t have to be a particularly clever landlord to realise the importance of carrying out a detailed inspection at the beginning of every tenancy. Any such inspection should include a full catalogue of photographs showing the condition of the property (video is also good) and an “agreed condition report” which details the condition of the property and is signed by the tenant or tenants at the time they take possession of the property.

Without this sort of information as a starting point any claim to the Tenancy Tribunal further down the track concerning how the tenants have treated the property will undoubtedly be fraught. There is also no harm in letting the tenants see that as a landlord you are paying attention to the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy.

Get Routine With Inspections

So, what about routine inspections and the need for them? I find it staggering the number of private landlords who don’t carry out routine inspections at their properties on a regular basis – and that some don’t carry out inspections at all. Routine inspections should generally be carried out three-monthly.

Don’t just take my word for it, that’s also the view of the Insurance Council of NZ. A lot of landlords will be unaware that it may be a requirement of their insurance policy to carry out three-monthly inspections. And why wouldn’t you? It’s just good practice. Routine inspections are important for several reasons.

The fact that a landlord carries them out on a regular basis shows the tenants that the landlord cares about the property and by inference cares about the tenants as well. What message is a landlord sending to his tenants if after handing over the keys at the start of a tenancy he or she never arranges any routine inspections? In my view the message is clear – the landlord cares about receiving their rent and very little else.

‘The fact that a landlord carries inspections out on a regular basis shows the tenants that the landlord cares about the property and by inference cares about the tenants’

Notice to the tenants of an impending routine inspection usually acts as a timely reminder that it’s time to carry out a little extra cleaning. As a landlord you generally know that the property is going to be given a little extra care and attention from the tenants every three months. Compare that to no, or very little care and attention over say a 12-month tenancy and you’ll understand the need for regular inspections.

Not all tenants are good at spotting maintenance issues or notifying their landlord of maintenance they have noticed, so routine inspections offer the opportunity for a landlord to be on the lookout for maintenance issues.

Show Your Appreciation

Not to be underestimated, is that routine inspections also offer the opportunity to enhance landlord/tenant relationships. When carrying out a routine inspection, if a landlord notices that their tenants are looking after the property, they should show their appreciation. This could be as simple as a thank you or a note left for the tenants if they are not home at the time of the inspection.

At Propertyscouts, tenants whose routine inspections go well are rewarded with a note and a small bag of lollies. It’s not the value of the gift that’s important but the acknowledgement that the way the tenants are looking after the property is appreciated.

Your Right To Inspect

The law states in Section 48(2)(b) of the Residential Tenancies Act that a landlord’s right of entry for the purpose of conducting an inspection is between the hours of 8am and 7pm on any specified day. Notice must be given to the tenant not less than 48 hours nor more than 14 days before the intended entry, and not more frequently than once in any four weeks.