Monday, 7 September 2009

Protect Your Investment Property"Conduct Move-In Reports

By Dana Powell

When the time comes for your tenant to move out of your rental property, you will need to be prepared to complete a security deposit reconciliation; which is when you compare how the tenant left the residence versus the condition it was rented to them in.

Having a thorough and well documented move-in report will counteract any questions on the condition of the home when the tenant moved it. The tenant will be held accountable for any discrepancies between the move-in and move out reports.

Take your time when conducting the move-in report, the more detailed you can be now, the more it will benefit you when the time comes to perform the move out inspection.

Starting your move in on one side of the house only to move to the other, and then back to where you started; leaves a lot of room for something to get over looked. This is why creating a consistent pattern is extremely desirable. Details are important; the more the better. Marking an entire bedroom as okay creates a lot of ambiguous wiggle room come move out.

Start from the ceiling and work your way down to the floors. Are there hooks or cracks in the ceiling? Is the popcorn crumbling in some areas? Check to see if the ceiling fan works properly. Make sure all the lights are all working properly

Once you are finished with one area continue on to another. Look at the blinds; are they clean? Do they work properly? Do the windows open and close as they should? Are the screen the right size and free from bends or holes? Is the carpet new or are there worn areas?

Proceed in the same manner throughout the rest of the home. Go through each and every bedroom and bathroom. Examine ever cupboard in the kitchen, open the stove, and check for leaks in the sinks or showers. Don't forget any extra rooms like an attic or laundry room.

The exterior of the home often gets over looked but it is imperative that the exterior condition gets acknowledged. They say a picture is worth a thousand words; as such, it is a tool that a savvy landlord would be wise to implement; during all move- in and move out reports.

After you have finished the report; review it with your tenant. Address any issues or questions they may have. Make certain the sign and date the form, and provide them a copy for their records. Also, allow them time to report any missed details, usually about 7 days. A report of a fist size hole through a bedroom door reported three months after they move-in is not tolerable.

Hopefully you can see why conducting a complete and comprehensive move-in report really is crucial. You wont mistakenly charge your tenant for damage that was already present; and you wont have to bear the costs of any new damage when they leave.

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