How to Inspect a Rental Unit

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, the saying goes, and when inspecting a rental unit it is especially true. Not only does the preliminary inspection serve as the tenant’s list of pre-existing conditions, it protects you, the landlord, during the lease and when the tenant vacates. There are a few guidelines to follow when inspecting the rental unit that will assist your interests later on.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Invite the new tenant to go on the walk-through with you. Both of you need to enter the premises at the same time and go through your checklist together, agreeing on the condition of each item.

2. Use a landlord-tenant checklist that inventories the property extensively. Prepare a general list that you can use for each unit. Make sure it contains a column that lists all the items to be inspected, another column for the move-in condition, a third for departure condition and a fourth to note the estimated cost of any needed repairs.

3. Start with the first area you enter in the unit, usually the living room and begin with the lowest area visible, the floor. Note the condition of the floor covering, the base trim and work your way upwards, scanning the walls for peeling paint, dents or nail holes. Finish by writing down the current condition of the ceiling. Before you go to the next room, check the light switches and plug a small nightlight into each outlet to make sure it is operable.

4. Proceed through each room in the unit in the same way making sure to detail hallways, too. In the kitchen, you must check inside each cabinet for damage and to assure that the doors swing freely. Test installed appliances. Bring a thermometer to check the oven temperature along with the refrigerator temperature. Write them down. Switch on and off the garbage disposal and dishwasher. Check the fan over the stove and make sure the faucets run and the drainage pipes below are not leaking.

5. Test the water temperature when you check out the bathrooms. Flush the toilets and let them fill back up. Listen to hear if they stop running as soon as the tank is full. Check the condition of the caulking around the tub or shower for gaps. Gaps mean water damage. Look for leaks around the base of the toilet.

6. Test the furnace and air conditioning system and make a note of the filter condition.

7. Open and close all windows at the end of your unit inspection. Inspect all windows at the same time instead of when you inspect the individual rooms to assure that all are accounted for. Ask the tenant to open and close them and make a note of any that stick.

8. Add an additional list for a furnished apartment, detailing each piece of furniture, shower curtains, rugs and any provided kitchen utensils. Test furniture by sitting on it, shifting back and forth, and noting the condition of the surface.

9. Take photographs of each room, especially if a problem is noted and of each piece of furniture. Provide the tenant with a copy of your landlord-tenant checklist for his or her records. Use the same list when the tenant checks out to compare departure condition to the original condition.

Tips & Warnings

• Prepare your landlord-tenant inspection form in advance to make sure it lists everything in the rental unit. Any missing documentation could cost you down the road. Take the time now to compile a complete list.

Resources

• Example of a rental unit checklist.