Rental inspections are a multifaceted exercise that most landlords will have to have performed on their investment properties. Not all of types of rental inspections are required by the municipality, but are often very useful for landlords.
What are Rental Inspections?
A rental inspection is a less extensive inspection, scheduled by a landlord or a property manager and preformed by a licensed inspector. Typically preformed during the move in or out stage of a lease or by a state mandated time period to approve the property for rental. However, an inspection can occur at anytime the owner or management of the property wishes in order to verify the condition of the property.
Why do Landlords get Rental Inspections?
Landlords get rental inspections preformed for a couple of different reasons. Though, rental inspections are typically preformed when landlords have to extend a lease or have new tenants coming into the property.
Making sure that the property is up to state safety standards is normally the priority in rental inspections. As of 2018, the state of Maryland has city and county based inspections templates that need to be filled every two years to make sure the property is properly habitable.
Rental inspections are also a great way for landlords to make sure that their properties are being properly maintained by their tenants. Tenants can do quite a lot of damage to properties if left unchecked. If landlords are unaware of the damage to the property for long enough, these damaged areas can get much worse. Getting ahead of damaged property can alleviate some potential expenses for landlords.
What Inspectors Look for at a Rental Inspection.
When conducting a state approved health and safety inspection, inspectors follow very specific guideline or checklist that is given out by the city or county that the rental property is located in. For example, here is the Baltimore City checklist, and here is the Baltimore County checklist.
During a more routine check of the property, the inspector will look at the general condition and operation of the structure and mechanical systems of the property. The inspector focuses on areas such as the roof, the interior living areas, the HVAC, plumbing lines, and normal health and safety standards.
