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Original poster

House inspections for rented properties - what is a normal amount?

45 replies

AfroPunk · 11/02/2017 08:32

We have rented for a while and were managed by a private LL for years who did not do house inspections. But we moved last summer (June) and have been inspected a few weeks after moving in, and in November. Got a phone call yesterday by the agency our property is managed by and they want to inspect again.

We've booked it in but I feel this is really intrusive. Dh asked why we were being inspected yet again and they said they do it every 3m. We were unaware of this. It seems a lot to me. I don't object to every 6m, but every 3m seems too much.

Any advice is appreciated. TIA.

OP posts:

Foureyesarebetterthantwo · 11/02/2017 16:32

Ours is every 3 months, although they have slacked off lately. I think even they are fed up of seeing us that often!

Juveniledelinquent · 11/02/2017 16:38

This is definitely too often and could be called harassment.

A tenant has the right to live in your accommodation without being disturbed.

If the tenant objects to you attending to do inspections or carry out repairs, then you cannot enter the property.

I would definitely object to this level of intrusion.

DeleteOrDecay · 11/02/2017 16:57

We lived in our previous house for 2 years and I think we had one inspection during this time. Can't really remember much about it but hated the idea of someone poking around my home even if they are just looking at the 'fabric' of the building. We had told them the oven was faulty numerous times during those 2 years and repeatedly put off replacing it by using sticking plaster repair methods which never worked so I'm not sure the 'looking for problems early on' reason holds much water when many LL's out there rarely take care of their properties even when tenants do inform them of problems.

Lived in our current house for 2 years and have never been inspected. We know the LL personally though. I'm very grateful, 3 monthly inspections would feel really invasive to me.

WaitrosePigeon · 11/02/2017 17:18

charlestrenet

Doesn't matter if it doesn't go down well. The tenant can refuse.

charlestrenet · 11/02/2017 17:41

Well it does matter given that if you piss them off they can just evict you and get someone else in. I hate the inspections and mine are clearly not about finding out about problems with the fabric of the house, but I would hate being homeless even more.

WaitrosePigeon · 11/02/2017 17:56

They can't just evict you. It will probably take around 6 months, if not more.

Sunnyshores · 11/02/2017 17:57

Charlestrenet I used working nights as a definite reason for it being inconvenient Im sure there are others. Im not sure how I would feel if a tenant didnt list a reason, it would depend very much on how long theyd lived there, if there had been any previous problems. It would def have to be a 6 month inspection.

If inspections arent being used to inform ll of maintenance issues, or stated tenants problems then again the Letting Agent is not doing their job properly - I suspect LAs are the really the cause of the majority of tenants perceived ll problems.

charlestrenet · 11/02/2017 18:24

Most tenants don't want to be homeless in six months' time or any other time either!

Sunnyshores my reasons are that it's intrusive and unnecessary. I pay my rent on time and clearly do report problems. Plus twice the inspection has been cancelled after me taking time off work for it - one time I got a text at the exact time it was due, the other I waited 45 minutes before calling them to be told it was cancelled. After that I stopped taking time off work for them - I only get 5 weeks a year to cover my kids' 13 week holidays so losing a week of that to cover inspections and therefore putting them in holiday clubs costs me literally hundreds of pounds. So now, because of the bitching about pots/ checking for dust etc (while doing nothing about the roof) I instead spend every night before the inspection cleaning until 1 am and then all that day fretting about that tit being in my home and I am just sick of it.

WaitrosePigeon · 11/02/2017 18:37

You can still decline to have inspections, it is within your right.

Sunnyshores · 11/02/2017 19:04

Your not going to be evicted because your house is dusty or messy. Thats the LA being an idiot, so dont waste your time cleaning, a quick tidy is fine.

Also you shouldnt feel you have to allow access whilst youre not there - its perfectly reasonable to ask that they come when youre home. When youve collected the children or when you're off anyway? Even if thats a few weeks later.

Can you actually get hold of the ll without going through the LA? If so I'd write a polite letter saying about the roof, saying youd rather have inspections when youre home and asking if they could be less frequent. The ll may not agree to less frequent but he cant insist on doing them when you're not there.

specialsubject · 11/02/2017 19:38

England /wales - tenant is entitled to landlord contact details.

expatinscotland · 11/02/2017 19:42

Plenty of tenants have been pulled up in inspection for the home being untidy or messy.

Sunnyshores · 11/02/2017 20:02

Im sure some lls think they have a right to complain (have you seen the thread about a tenant leaving their lights on???) But legally there is nothing a ll can do about a tenant having a messy house. As long as its not damaging the property and its all clean and tidy/as was when they leave.

Original poster

AfroPunk · 11/02/2017 20:41

I've read on a property lawyers blog today that quarterly inspections are about average. They can lessen in frequency with successful successive inspections of the same property with the same tenants. I'll take this one on the chin and see if they can be reduced once we've been here for a year.

It is a pain, but I wouldn't want to risk the tenancy not being renewed at the end of the fixed term because the LL (who lives abroad), thinks were obtrusive pains in the assessment.

Just got to suck it up...

Thank-you for your replies

OP posts:

Original poster

AfroPunk · 11/02/2017 20:43

Ass, not assessment! Bloody predictive text!

OP posts:

scaryteacher · 11/02/2017 23:28

Delete As I will be returning to live in the property in 2019, when we move back to the UK, the fabric of the building is extremely important to me, and it is maintained. I'd rather sort problems early than later.

I have told my letting agent that I don't care about it being untidy, as I am untidy myself; I care that the house is heated and ventilated properly, that the floors aren't being gouged by wheeled chairs, that the tenants remember to tell the letting agent about an issue, rather than forgetting for two inspections, and then pushing to have something sorted over a weekend.

Jugoo28 · 12/02/2017 01:54

We are both landlords and tenants. Luckily our house is rented by a friend who tells us promptly of any issues and we go and see her over a glass of wine when we are in town.

We were shown around our rental property by the previous tenants who interrogated me about if we were good at doing handyman jobs around the house and told us proudly about how good they have been at maintaining the property as they didn't like bothering the landlord. Our landlord lives in another city too and never does inspections. We opened a window which turned out had not been opened for a long time and it promptly fell off the hinges as they had rusted away. She got her builder BIL in straight away to fix it and he has also made a very long list of things that need to be done as it turns out the old tenants were not so handy after all! Inspections would have stopped things like the window getting to that point!

Gwenhwyfar · 12/02/2017 10:41

"Inspections would have stopped things like the window getting to that point!"

Would they? Would the inspector open every window in every property they're inspecting?

scaryteacher · 12/02/2017 11:55

Gwen I hope mine does, and we have replaced several double glazing units which have listed, and had handles on the tilt and turn windows sorted, when the letting agent have inspected.

scaryteacher · 12/02/2017 11:57

It all depends what you want really. We don't have any inspections as we are abroad, but you get stung at the end of the lease if the house isn't in the same condition as when you occupied it, so if you manage to get out for less than 3000€, you are doing well.

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