Rental properties in Houston, Texas can be a great source of income, especially when using a sound investment strategy.
There are various tasks you need to stay on top of, and one of the most crucial is property inspections. These allow you to assess the state of your rental property so you can determine if there are any issues you need to attend to.
So how should you go about rental property inspections? Let's take a look.
Types of Inspections
The first thing you need to know is that there are three types of inspections you should do.
The first of these is a moving-in inspection. This is done before tenants move in so you can see the state of the property as it is. Use an inspection checklist and take note of everything in the property and the condition it's in.
After tenants move out, you can do a moving-out inspection. This is similar and is a way of assessing any potential damage caused by tenants. Normal wear and tear is to be expected, but if there's any major damage caused through neglect or deliberate behavior, you can pay for it using the tenant's security deposit. Ideally, there won't be any damage at all.
The third type is regular rental inspections. You can do these throughout a tenancy.
Regular inspections let you see how things are going and you can determine if there are any issues you need to deal with. It's ideal to get a professional property manager to conduct these as they know what to look for. They may be able to spot small issues the untrained eye wouldn't see, and you can deal with them before they turn into much larger problems.
How Often Should You Inspect Rental Properties?
You can decide how often you'll do routine inspections, but think about this carefully. If you do them too often, your tenants could become displeased. Typical landlord inspection guidelines are likely to suggest quarterly at most, but it's more common for landlords to do them annually.
Tenants have a right to quiet enjoyment of the property. Disturbing them too much will breach this right and could lead to disputes between you and your tenants. You should outline your inspection frequency in the lease agreement so tenants know what to expect.
In many states, landlords must give tenants suitable notice before entering a property. This is usually 24 hours, but it can differ. In Texas, there's no such law in place.
Despite this, you should still always give tenants some notice. Ideally, it will be at least 24 hours, but notifying them earlier can be better. You should do this even if you've made it clear in lease agreements just to remind tenants.
Professional Rental Property Inspections
Inspections are crucial for rental property maintenance, so they're vital if you want to succeed in the Houston rental market. A property manager can carry out thorough rental property inspections to ensure nothing is missed.
First Class Management is a leading property management company serving clients throughout Houston. We can provide property inspections as well as various other services and have over 30 years of experience in real estate. Take a look at our property management page for more information.