Top 5 reasons to have a Mid-term Property Inspection

We find Inventories, Check ins and Check outs get all the attention. Their level of detail. Their ability to help ensure a landlord will receive what they’re rightfully owed for any cleaning issues or damages. Their benefits are huge.

But there’s one report which you might be overlooking. These reports which can be occasionally neglected are highly beneficial. In fact, they’re great for supporting a successful tenancy.

This report is called the Mid-Term Inspection. Or as we like to call them, Property Visits.

Simply put, these inspections are advised to happen every 6 months during the tenancy period. Some agents and landlords actually choose to have them every 3 months.

It’s a powerful and protective process. They’re quick, non-intrusive and a legal way of inspecting the properties you manage, even if the tenants are home.

If mid-term inspections are something you’re not using, then our top 5 reasons to have a Mid-Term Property Inspection will help you decide if they’d help you.

1 – SAVE YOUR TIME

You could be managing a portfolio from a handful of properties, entire blocks of flats or even 100’s of homes spread across a city or town. The time it would take to visit each property and then create an individual report for each property quickly adds up. Next thing you know, an entire day has vanished.

And that’s not even considering the time spent communicating with the tenant to arrange for a convenient time and their permission to come and carry out the inspection.

By using an inventory company to carry out your mid-term inspections they’ll do the leg work for you. The only thing you’ll need to do is provide the addresses and tenant details for the properties you’d like inspected.


2 – REDUCE THE RISK OF DAMAGE

In a perfect world, tenants would be open and honest at all times. However, as you probably know this is not always the case. For instance, we recently discovered a leak in a property which had been there since the previous tenancy. What started out as a small and easy fix is now much, much more than that.

Your Mid-Term property inspection clerk is trained to look out for problems developing in the property. This means looking for signs of potential issues. Such as the early signs of damp developing in a bathroom or bedroom.

Any issues picked up on will be communicated back to you. This is done through the report. Urgent issues will be brought to your attention on the same day. Allowing you to act quickly to prevent the problem getting worse.

Stories like this “£29,000 arrears and £2,000 mess left by tenant” are rare and very extreme, but falling into the “it won’t happen to me” mentality can be risky.


3 – IMPROVE TENANT RELATIONSHIPS

A mid-term property inspection is an effective way to encourage more open lines of communication during the tenancy.

Tenants being present for a mid-term property inspection is an added bonus. They get the opportunity to relay any problems that they have found in the property. As this is done with the clerk, we find it helps tenants know that they are being listened too.

This has a positive effect on how tenants view the service the are receiving from their landlord or letting agent.


4 – CHECK THE TENANCY AGREEMENT ISN’T BEING BROKEN

During a mid-term property inspection damage and cleaning issues are not the only thing that will be checked. Tell-Tale signs of subletting, pets, smoking and illegal activities will be inspected. All of which are usually disallowed in a tenancy agreement.

Here’s quite an incredible story which mid-term inspections would have helped prevent “Agents duped by man sub-letting homes to create £7m cannabis empire”


5 – EMPTY PROPERTY? KEEP IT SAFE WITH A MID-TERM INSPECTION

Lastly, property visits can help with managing the condition of empty properties. Adverse weather conditions can cause more problems for a property which is unoccupied. With no one living at the property, damage which can occur during a storm no one will be aware of.

If windows get broken or fences blown down access, the property can be left unsecure and vulnerable.


If mid-term inspections are missing from your lettings artillery, contact our Property Visit team using the email below. We’ll be happy to discuss your requirements and tailor a package suited to your agency propertyvisits@hinchpm.com

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