If you’re a landlord....

[SprusselBrout]

...and you’re conducting an annual inspection of a tenant’s home, what sort of thing do you look for?
I don’t smoke, no pets, no cannabis farm etc etc

Mainly that you haven't trashed the place or damaged anything (other than the usual wear and tear).

We would also look out for signs of damp or mould or leaking things that perhaps the tenant hasn't told us about but that we would want to fix before they became big jobs.

My old letting agent said they were literally just checking that we hadn't trashed the place and turned it into a cannabis farm 😂

I've rented for five years and never had an inspection! My current landlord comes round for tea and cake occasionally and we chat about local history. I've been stupidly lucky with landlords! I'm sure tea and cake serves as an informal inspection, but it's much better for my anxiety when it's framed that way!

Looking out for things that need a bit of maintenance to prevent problem in future - dripping taps, Exterior condition etc. Also a bit of figuring out when we might need to repaint/re-carpet etc. to help with planning finances.

Echoing others here, I check for maintainence - structural, internal etc. Evidence of leaks etc.

I don't care how tidy/messy it is, and I pay no attention to a tenant's personal items.

When I lived in a shared house, ll would pop by all the time to fix stuff and decorate rooms etc. He would do an annual inspection of personal bedroom but would literally just be like, any smoking evidence? Any damages? That would be it.

He did used to make us bacon sandwiches when in on a morning doing some random maintenance.

I loved my old ll!

Pretty much maintenance related only. Stuff they may not have noticed/ cared about or small things that could be fixed to prevent big things in the future

I told my tenants they didnt need to clean and tidy for me as long as it wasnt a total health hazard and i could access everywhere- couldnt give a toss about washing up in the kitchen, pizza boxes, clothes on floor etc

Used to take about 10 minutes and i did it twice a year. Tenants appreciated i took care of the properties and we got on well and it worked for us both. If any work needed doing i would phone the contractor at the time to arrange a convenient time for them and tenant. It worked well

Just checking there's no damage really. We're pretty laid back, don't care about the tenant putting up pictures or shelves, he could paint if he wanted to.

This thread is refreshing. I've read some awful posts about landlords (and had some awful landlords when I rented), but the landlords posting here all sound lovely

DH is a landlord

He just wants to check his tenant is looking after his flat.

He couldn’t care less about small stuff like are all the knives and forks still there.

Just that the place is still standing

Mainly that there’s no damage or small problems that can develop into larger ones unless they are addressed, such as the bath sealant starting to come away, and that kind of thing.

We’re not out to get you, honest!

@araiwa

My DH is the same. He quite likes to see the flat being lived in if that makes sense?

He encourages his tenants to paint if they wish and make the place feel like theirs

He checks the place once a year and will always aim to get someone round to the flat that day or the next if there’s an issue that needs fixed

When I was a landlord I would do a minor check to ensure nothing had been trashed then a generic check of "my" side of things to check whether there were any small problems that needed solving before they escalated.

Externally -Guttering, roof slates, damp patches, check for excess rubbish & signs of vermin.
Kitchen and bathroom sealant.
Mould or damp patches internally.
Burn marks on carpets.
Check doors for punch marks. Look for any strategically for draped clothes or towels.
Excess washing on radiators likely to cause mould or damp.
Remind tenant to open the windows occasionally.
Ensure kitchen & bathroom plug holes and shower traps are clear of hair and debris, use sink buster type cleaner if necessary.
Check the screw on stainless steel sink plug holes to avoid leak psunder the sink. Tighten screwdriver if necessary.
Check curtain poles and securely fixed.
Test fire alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.
Empty magnetic debris filter on boiler buddy.

I'm a clerk, so inspections are part of my living.

As others have said, not too bothered about tidiness. It would have to be neglectfully filthy for a specific comment.

I go to chat to the tenant, if they choose to attend, and to see if there are any niggles they want to report.

A visual survey of the exterior, just in case, and off I go.

I do take pictures, but avoid expensive gadgets, don't open cupboards etc. If the tenant says no, then I don't.

My Letting Agent ran me and said the tenants weren't particularly tidy and there were plates in the sink from the previous night. I cracked up and said if she was inspecting the house we rent abroad, she'd see plates in the sink, pans on the stove and dirty mugs as I hadn't yet got round to stacking the dishwasher that morning.

I am untidy (very) and thus don't expect the tenants to be tidy. What I do expect is that they will let the letting agent know if there are issues with anything so we can get it sorted for them asap.

It's my family home, and I will be moving back into it, so it's self interest to make sure that everything is OK as we go along, and not have to do massive amounts of stuff when we move back in.