Rented House Inspection

Isolt

Hi fellow renters

I have rented this house for 3.5 years so far and last Tuesday I applied for HAP.
On Friday I received a letter from the landlord asking to inspect the house. Is this inspection related to HAP? I know landlords are totally entitled to inspect their property (I would want to too if I owned my own house!) but I am nervous about it due to the timing. We have never had an inspection before.

Our inspection is tomorrow morning and I am very nervous. The house is clean and aside from normal wear and tear (loose handle on a drawer, scratches on white leather sofa thanks to our toddler!) the house is in fabulous condition. It is a beautiful home and we take care of it.

What do landlords look at when doing an inspection? I assume it's to check that we don't have rubbish left lying around and that the windows/walls/sockets etc aren't damaged.

Glitzgirl

Hi isolot

I have an inspection every 12 weeks, my agent doesn't obviously look inside presses etc but does ask to see every room.
She likes to do a full inventory check make sure nothing has been removed or moved or take note if something has been moved to a different room.
She checks the place is clean and there is no obvious damage like holes in wall or pictures hung etc.

Usually gets me to sign and take note of any issues ( which there has never been ).

My agent is very odd though. hope this helps you !

Browney7

Isolt wrote: »

Hi fellow renters

I have rented this house for 3.5 years so far and last Tuesday I applied for HAP.
On Friday I received a letter from the landlord asking to inspect the house. Is this inspection related to HAP? I know landlords are totally entitled to inspect their property (I would want to too if I owned my own house!) but I am nervous about it due to the timing. We have never had an inspection before.

Our inspection is tomorrow morning and I am very nervous. The house is clean and aside from normal wear and tear (loose handle on a drawer, scratches on white leather sofa thanks to our toddler!) the house is in fabulous condition. It is a beautiful home and we take care of it.

What do landlords look at when doing an inspection? I assume it's to check that we don't have rubbish left lying around and that the windows/walls/sockets etc aren't damaged.

It's possible the LL is inspecting the place with a view to taking photos and seeing what needs to be done in the place before re letting. You are approaching 4 years so it's possible the LL doesn't want to take HAP and will use the cessation of your part four lease at the four year anniversary to remove you.

Quite possible he/she has recently realised that they haven't inspected in a long time either though and is just curious.

April 73

HAP has different (higher) standards applied to the property. It may be that the LL is checking the property against the standards but be prepared that the landlord may not want to accept HAP & has other motivations for the inspection. Take the opportunity to meet & talk it through with them.

Beanybabog

I know someone who works for the council and they inspect HAP properties to see they reach their standards. He could be preparing for this

crossmolinalad

Glitzgirl wrote: »

Hi isolot

I have an inspection every 12 weeks, my agent doesn't obviously look inside presses etc but does ask to see every room.
She likes to do a full inventory check make sure nothing has been removed or moved or take note if something has been moved to a different room.
She checks the place is clean and there is no obvious damage like holes in wall or pictures hung etc.

Usually gets me to sign and take note of any issues ( which there has never been ).

My agent is very odd though. hope this helps you !

Every 12 weeks???
Nothing has to be moved or moved to another room??
Get lost
If I had a landlord like that wel good bye house goodbye landlord and moved to somewhere else
Landlord visits once a year is enough and luckily I live here for 6 years now and never seen him for any inspections
If something small is wrong , a broken socket or switch or loose doorhandel i fix it myself
Painting the room I call him and we got to a shop , he pays and I'm doing the job
Last summer he dumped a couple of buckets paint on the doorstep asking me to paint the outside of the house No problem

Glitzgirl

crossmolinalad wrote: »

Every 12 weeks???
Nothing has to be moved or moved to another room??
Get lost
If I had a landlord like that wel good bye house goodbye landlord and moved to somewhere else
Landlord visits once a year is enough and luckily I live here for 6 years now and never seen him for any inspections
If something small is wrong , a broken socket or switch or loose doorhandel i fix it myself
Painting the room I call him and we got to a shop , he pays and I'm doing the job
Last summer he dumped a couple of buckets paint on the doorstep asking me to paint the outside of the house No problem

I'm sorely tempted to but there is nothing in my area to rent at all and I'm restricted to where I can move to as my children attend camhs.

I would love to have even a bit of Lee way with the place here. It's being managed by an auctioneer and I really think they don't know what they are at. It's made me so I comfortable renting here I'd move tomorrow if something was available.

Its very good practice by a LL to have inspections every 3 months, they need to protect their property and their business. 6 months is the absolute maximum time any property owner should spend without having an indepth inspection of their property.

I expected to see inspections happen much more often in future as LLs are really on the back foot from day one with all the one sided pro-tenant legislation.

Glitzgirl

Laurie Green Rainy wrote: »

Its very good practice by a LL to have inspections every 3 months, they need to protect their property and their business. 6 months is the absolute maximum time any property owner should spend without having an indepth inspection of their property.

I expected to see inspections happen much more often in future as LLs are really on the back foot from day one with all the one sided pro-tenant legislation.

I agree inspections are necessary but every 12 weeks is a bit much. Especially when the agent has a way of making you dread the inspection..for instance a plumber had to be called due to taps loose and leaking 6 months into tenancy. LL sent out a family member who took off bath panel side and shower apart. He laid the parts on the cream carpet in the hall upstairs. It's left a big yellow stain. I've lit cleaned it on my knees and hands every week to reduce it..even bought a carper cleaner.

Every single time the agent comes she acts surprised to see it ( even though I told her as soon as I noticed after plumber left ) and every inspections she tells me to buy a rug to cover it. Or to pay for a cleaner to professionally clean it. Every. Single. Time. I dread her coming now

beauf

The LL should be paying to clean that.

Glitzgirl

beauf wrote: »

The LL should be paying to clean that.

I did say that to after she argued with me. And as per her inspection records it wasn't there before the plumber and was informed about it immeditaly after he left. She has just told me it will be up to me to get it cleaned or it will be deducted from my security deposit when or if I leave. Seems completely unreasonable to me tbh. Esp as carpet clearly hadn't been cleaned before I moved in.

beauf

Did you have pictures of the house when you moved in, to show that it wasn't cleaned?

Glitzgirl

beauf wrote: »

Did you have pictures of the house when you moved in, to show that it wasn't cleaned?

No the agent took pictures. I requested a copy but never got them. I did email her to say that the washing machine was filled with mould and to make a note about soot being left all over the sitting room from the guy who cleaned the chimney and also about the jungle of a garden and carpets. She said landlord would normally see to this before tenant moves in but landlord was abroad so it wasn't done. To take it as it or another tenant would be happy to.

The_Conductor

April 73 wrote: »

HAP has different (higher) standards applied to the property. It may be that the LL is checking the property against the standards but be prepared that the landlord may not want to accept HAP & has other motivations for the inspection. Take the opportunity to meet & talk it through with them.

+1
The HAP standards are current building standards- however, any property constructed only has to comply with, and be signed off as complying with, the regulations in place when it was constructed.
A HAP inspection can include a list of remedial work needed for a property before it qualifies as a HAP Compliant property- which can include electrical work- and adding external ventilation to every habitable room.

Just because your property that your currently in- is compliant with the regs and can be let- does not mean it will pass a HAP examination.

_Kaiser_

EA of the place I'm in has a tendancy to want to inspect every 3 months or so.. usually with maybe 48 hours notice and an offer that they'll let themselves in if I like

Now, I've nothing to hide, but I'm not letting effectively a stranger wander around my home. The short-notice and frequency is starting to piss me off a bit too. I've been in the place over 2 years, the rent has never been late, I don't bother them except for severe issues (like when the water pipe under the bedroom burst and flooded half the room) and having them wanting to do walk throughs every few months and me rearranging the day to accommodate them is starting to grate.

_Dara_

Laurie Green Rainy wrote: »

Its very good practice by a LL to have inspections every 3 months, they need to protect their property and their business. 6 months is the absolute maximum time any property owner should spend without having an indepth inspection of their property.

I expected to see inspections happen much more often in future as LLs are really on the back foot from day one with all the one sided pro-tenant legislation.

Every three months is far too much. That three months would fly by. It's an imposition. In the beginning, a three month inspection is OK to figure out if the tenants are working out but persisting with inspections every three months is over the top. Six monthly at the very most, yearly is best. I doubt many tenants would be happy with such frequent inspections and I'd expect the best tenants, who have their pick of rentals, to move on quickly in such circumstances. Inspections every three months is basically treating grown adults like children. I suppose tenants can leave in the first six months if they are not happy with the arrangement but who wants to be reletting their property every few months?

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

EA of the place I'm in has a tendancy to want to inspect every 3 months or so.. usually with maybe 48 hours notice and an offer that they'll let themselves in if I like

Now, I've nothing to hide, but I'm not letting effectively a stranger wander around my home. The short-notice and frequency is starting to piss me off a bit too. I've been in the place over 2 years, the rent has never been late, I don't bother them except for severe issues (like when the water pipe under the bedroom burst and flooded half the room) and having them wanting to do walk throughs every few months and me rearranging the day to accommodate them is starting to grate.

Exactly, it's too much. It's too often to have to rearrange your plans and it's so often as to not make it feel like your home. When you are renting somewhere, it's your home for the duration of the tenancy and should feel like it.

beauf

I think after a year and 4 inspections, they should increase the gap.

John_Rambo

Laurie Green Rainy wrote: »

Its very good practice by a LL to have inspections every 3 months, they need to protect their property and their business. 6 months is the absolute maximum time any property owner should spend without having an indepth inspection of their property.

Six months to start maximum, then once a year with two to three months notice. Every three months is far too much. That carry on is amateurish, imposing and will build bad will and an abrasive relationship. A lack of trust and privacy will do you, your tenant and your property no good.

You have to appreciate, although it's your property, it's more complicated and personal than that. It's not a gold bar you're renting out, its someones home. Someones personal space and sanctuary. The more they feel it's their home, the better they will look after it and choosing carefully is paramount.

It's also rarely a business (it was at one stage, but I think you've missed that boat a few times now, it's likely you've missed out completely. Lot's of reluctant and accidental landlords out there) but a long term investment for your future. There will be months or years of loss for you, the key is to pay off the principal on your mortgage and build wealth for the long term, retirement even.

Nowadays it's certainly not the cash cow people think it is. There's to many variables now.

Once a year is no where near enough for a property owner to be inspecting their property, to use your phrase it's "amateurish" not keeping a very close eye on things in your property. Also 3 months notice? You must be having a laugh, a week at most is all the notice that would be required and 48 hrs should be plenty bar some reason like the tenant being away.

If you can't meet the LL just allow them in with their own key, I allowed LLs or people working on the houses I've rented in enter regulalry. I've far better things for doing than trying to arrange a time that suited me and them and had no problem leaving out a key or telling the LL to enter when ever he wanted.

If you have issues with a 30 minute or so inspection every 3 months then you have other issues imo.

Also it is very much a business, it's clueless to say other wise. Hence why people are moving to Airbnb as it guarantees profit and guarantees no getting stuck with bad non-paying tenants. Anyone investing in property and not at the very least covering the full mortgage and all expenses is doing it wrong imo and you should be aiming to clear profit every month also. Again this is very difficult in long term lets due to crazy legalisation like rent pressure zones and excessive tenants rights so alternative more profitable ways are being found and until long term renting is more profitable again the crisis caused by LL leaving the business will continue.

John_Rambo

Laurie Green Rainy wrote: »

Once a year is no where near enough for a property owner to be inspecting their property, to use your phrase it's "amateurish". Also 3 months notice? You must be having a laugh, a week at most is all the notice that would be required.

If you can't meet the LL just allow them in with their own key, I allowed LLs or people working on the houses I've rented in enter regulalry. I've far better things for doing than trying to arrange a time that suited me and them and had no problem leaving out a key or telling the LL to enter when ever he wanted.

If you have issues with a 30 minute or so inspection every 3 months then you have other issues imo.

I was the landlord.

Not having a laugh, no issues with a good, healthy, distant, respectful and professional relationship. I'd far better things to be doing than trying to arrange a time that suited me and them and had no problem with them maintaining their home. I certainly didn't enter their home when ever I wanted and I certainly didn't consider prolonged half hour on the spot inspections every three months, unreasonable for them, or for me. That's for the half baked clowns. As I said, choosing carefully is paramount. Also, buying the property in an area that's conducive to good relations is important too. They could have changed the locks for all I knew. My set of keys to the property were never used.

Profitable for me. Good home for them. Sold it in tip top condition in the boom for a solid future.

The_Conductor

Posters in this forum have voiciferously insisted that if a property is damaged over and above normal wear and tear- that the landlord has to be at fault- for not conducting sufficient inspections.

This is just going to be yet another bone of contention between tenants- who are entitled to peaceful enjoyment of their tenancy- and landlords- who are held up to ridicule and blame if anything goes wrong.

The RTB suggest that 2 inspections per annum is reasonable- but they don't say anything about more frequent inspections at the outset, or tapering the number of inspections for longterm tenants.

At the end of the day- landlords and tenants should treat the tenancy as a business- and insist on conducting their interactions in a business like fashion- once emotions get involved, on either party- its a recipe for disaster.

This is very possibly another point that it would be helpful if the Department of Housing clarified what was a normal and reasonable inspection regime- in the regulation if necessary- so arguments could be hit on the head for once and for all. There are amendments to the primary legislation coming most probably before the end of the year- I expect to see a lot of clauses piggybacking their way into the legislation on it.

_Kaiser_

Laurie Green Rainy wrote: »

Once a year is no where near enough for a property owner to be inspecting their property, to use your phrase it's "amateurish" not keeping a very close eye on things in your property. Also 3 months notice? You must be having a laugh, a week at most is all the notice that would be required and 48 hrs should be plenty bar some reason like the tenant being away.

If you can't meet the LL just allow them in with their own key, I allowed LLs or people working on the houses I've rented in enter regulalry. I've far better things for doing than trying to arrange a time that suited me and them and had no problem leaving out a key or telling the LL to enter when ever he wanted.

If you have issues with a 30 minute or so inspection every 3 months then you have other issues imo.

Also it is very much a business, it's clueless to say other wise. Hence why people are moving to Airbnb as it guarantees profit and guarantees no getting stuck with bad non-paying tenants. Anyone investing in property and not at the very least covering the full mortgage and all expenses is doing it wrong imo and you should be aiming to clear profit every month also. Again this is very difficult in long term lets due to crazy legalisation like rent pressure zones and excessive tenants rights so alternative more profitable ways are being found and until long term renting is more profitable again the crisis caused by LL leaving the business will continue.

This post has everything.. Tenants are untrustworthy and have "issues", landlords are victims, even a pop at the legislation and the virtues of AirBnB.

Yes there are some landlords and some tenants who fit the above description, but the vast majority of tenants just want to be left in peace and get on with their lives without intrusive or excessive dealings with a landlord. Similarly, most landlords are happy to leave things alone as long as the rent is paid and there's no major problems.

I've rented for 20 years now in several parts of the country and I've never had any real problems with it. I pay the rent, they fix anything major and that's about the extent of our dealings...in fact, until I moved into this place I'd never had any inspections but always get great references for looking after the place.

Yes it's a business but it's also someone's home as well as a landlord's retirement plan. You need to bear that in mind in your "business plan". Your tenant has a right to peace and quiet in their home. Of course you are entitled to check in every so often, but not to where it's intrusive and disruptive and especially when there's no cause for concern.. Which if you've picked your tenant properly and treat them with respect and mindful of the above, there won't be in 99% of cases.

The attitude above makes for just as bad a landlord as those who haven't a notion of their obligations.

John_Rambo

John_Rambo wrote: »

I'd far better things to be doing than trying to arrange a time that suited me and them and had no problem with them maintaining their home.

You wanted to be a hands off amateur LL and you were lucky it worked out, other LLs want to be actively involved in running their business and see spending time inspecting etc as being part of the job of being a LL. If you think that calling round and doing an inspection every few months is hard work, despite it giving you a chance to make sure everything is right in your property then you have no idea what actual hard work is.

Its not even that your tenants might be bad, many people are cluless when it comes to a house. Things like leaks can go unnoticed (or ignored), wear and tear can be monitored so that you actually know something is wear and tear rather than damage, general structural issues can be spotted that may be bigger issues down the line etc etc etc.

John_Rambo wrote: »

That's for the half baked clowns.

I assume that's a dig at LL with one or two properties, despite the fact its the bigger LLs and property companies who are actually much more likely to carry out regular inspections as they are running the business like a business.

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Yes it's a business but it's also someone's home as well as a landlord's retirement plan. You need to bear that in mind in your "business plan". Your tenant has a right to peace and quiet in their home. Of course you are entitled to check in every so often, but not to where it's intrusive and disruptive and especially when there's no cause for concern.. Which if you've picked your tenant properly and treat them with respect and mindful of the above, there won't be in 99% of cases.

The attitude above makes for just as bad a landlord as those who haven't a notion of their obligations.

I honestly can't fathom how you can see a 30 min or so visit every 3 months as being in any way intrusive and disruptive. It never bothered me in the slightest when the LL called around, Id have a chat and usually point out things that needed doing rather than having to do it over the phone etc. If you are keeping the property as it should be kept then a LLs inspection shouldn't even need any thought bar arranging some evening you are in the house which is very easy to do.

_Kaiser_

Laurie Green Rainy wrote: »

I honestly can't fathom how you can see a 30 min or so visit every 3 months as being in any way intrusive and disruptive. It never bothered me in the slightest when the LL called around, Id have a chat and usually point out things that needed doing rather than having to do it over the phone etc. If you are keeping the property as it should be kept then a LLs inspection shouldn't even need any thought bar arranging some evening you are in the house which is very easy to do.

That's you, and that's fair enough... but every 12 weeks is a bit much for a long-term tenant who has never caused any issues and pays the rent on time every time - it just creates an attitude of distrust.

I have a long commute, so I'm usually not home between 9-5 which is when they want to do it. Although I can work from home (not everyone has this option), rescheduling my day to accommodate this at short notice isn't ideal (assuming they don't cancel at the last minute as they've done several times).

The place is certainly in better shape than I got it in (wasn't even cleaned.. never mind "professionally" cleaned), and I don't bother them unnecessarily. I'm a grown adult, not a child who needs to be checked-up on & I'll probably say it to them next time they try it at this stage.

Mrs OBumble

John_Rambo wrote: »

Six months to start maximum, then once a year with two to three months notice. Every three months is far too much. That carry on is amateurish,

You may not like the level of reference checking that I would insist on before handing you an asset worth several hundred thousand with no supervision for the first six months.

It would involve you getting tax-clearance, and written statements from people, including your bank-manager, employer, previous three landlords, a minister of religion or similar (someone who can assess the chances of you running a brothel or drug-poeration), and the guards (not full vetting, that's not available to private sector landlords, just a standard police certificate). I would choose which of these people I personally contacted with further detailed questioning about you - but it would be most of them - and you would have to provide a written statement giving them authority to speak with me.

FWIW, the professional property manager i use in my property overseas insists on a one-month inspection initially, and then quarterly after that. Notice of the timeframe is given when the tenancy starts, and I've never had a problem getting quality tenants.

fyi, Recently such an inspection noticed a patch of black mould. Luckily, the inspection found it, so I am able to get maintenance done on the underlying problem now while it's small, rather than later when it would be a lot more expensive. The tenant for some unknown reason hadn't reported it, so if it wasn't for the inspection it wouldn't be getting fixed.

_Kaiser_

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It would involve you getting tax-clearance, and written statements from people, including your bank-manager, employer, previous three landlords, a minister of religion or similar (someone who can assess the chances of you running a brothel or drug-poeration), and the guards (not full vetting, that's not available to private sector landlords, just a standard police certificate). I would choose which of these people I personally contacted with further detailed questioning about you - but it would be most of them - and you would have to provide a written statement giving them authority to speak with me.

That's ridiculously excessive - what reassurances has your tenant got that you are equally reliable? Would you be prepared to provide the above to them as well?

Personally I'd just move on to the next property though...

fyi, Recently such an inspection noticed a patch of black mould. Luckily, the inspection found it, so I am able to get maintenance done on the underlying problem now while it's small, rather than later when it would be a lot more expensive. The tenant for some unknown reason hadn't reported it, so if it wasn't for the inspection it wouldn't be getting fixed.

Sounds like a problem with that particular tenant really. I am very proactive when it comes to reporting any significant issues (but not trivialities) - why? because it's my home first and foremost and I have to live there, but also because I recognize the landlord's (financial and other) interests in the property.

I consider it both good practise and common sense.

John_Rambo

Laurie Green Rainy wrote: »

you were lucky it worked out.

I made it work out Nox.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You may not like the level of reference checking that I would insist on before handing you an asset worth several hundred thousand with no supervision for the first six months.

It would involve you getting tax-clearance, and written statements from people, including your bank-manager, employer, previous three landlords, a minister of religion or similar (someone who can assess the chances of you running a brothel or drug-poeration), and the guards (not full vetting, that's not available to private sector landlords, just a standard police certificate). I would choose which of these people I personally contacted with further detailed questioning about you …...

Well, I hope you read over all these statements with a bit more diligence than you read my posts because it’s obvious that I’m talking from the perspective of a landlord, not a tenant! They were my terms agreed with the tenant. Worked out very well, they maintained the house perfectly.

Your T&C’s are a joke. Overkill to an OCD degree, unnecessary stress. “minister of religion”!!

Glitzgirl

I think most tenants uunderstand the landlord wants to protect their investment and preventative maintenace is always better than repairing damage later.

I would like to say a one size approach doesn't fit all. For instance every 12 weeks here is unfathomablely uncomfortable due to the agents behaviour , and general mannerism , it's really caused bad blood which makes it hard to do dealings with them.

I have no issues with inspections. However I have 2 children with additional needs here and have frequently had to cancel appointments for my kids which can be hard to get , all because my agent wouldn't be any way flexible. It's such a time on x day no other options and I had to be present to answer any queries re inventory. That kind of rigid and harsh attitude makes bad tenants imo. I think after a year and a half of no missed or late rent, no single incidents from any of my 12 week inspection reports, nothing , it's not too much to ask the agent and landlord to stop treating me like a child and more like a client. A level of respect is required on both sides.