Home owners and rental investors turn to us for help to manage and maintain their property. We protect their investments, represent them as owners, follow through with the necessary paperwork and legal fillings, while finding quality tenants and caring for their them and the property all at once. This includes numerous tasks to complete but one we’d like to discuss today is the importance of a “Move-In Checklist.”
The Move-In Checklist is different from the inspection. An inspection is done once (sometimes twice) a year, or in-between tenants, by a licensed agent. The Move-In Checklist is specifically centered around the tenant and the property, recording what they check and observe before they move in.
All tenants are required to fill out a Move-In Checklist before moving into the property. We keep a copy of this on file, and having this checklist on hand is helpful incase you need to refer to it at anytime, or even if it’s just during in the move-out for comparison.
What if something at the property breaks and you need maintenance completed? Pull out the checklist to see if there was any record of the issue beforehand. If not, you have record that it was in great working condition before the tenant moved in. Or you might see that it’s an ongoing issue and maybe it’s time to replace instead of just “fix the problem.” Either way, this will help so you’re taking care of your tenant and your property.
If you or the tenant need to file an insurance claim because of damages. Record is crucial! You wouldn’t want to be out thousands of dollars because you skipped a couple of steps during the move-in process and getting a new tenant. Take the time and make sure everything is done correctly and efficiently.
What if there are damages left behind from the tenant? This is why you collect the security deposit. If the tenant made note that the master bedroom door was great when they moved in, but now it has a big hole and it looks like it’s been kicked in, well now you have record of this. The tenant’s security deposit will cover these damages. Have your copy of their Move-In Checklist, and there will be less issues if questions arise about a tenant charge for damages.
Along with the Move-In Checklist, require pictures of all the places the tenant marks as anything besides being in good condition. The famous quote “A picture is worth a thousand words” comes to mind, and couldn’t be truer. How much smoother would the move-out go with a tenant if you have a copy of their checklist, plus pictures of any issues they reported or didn’t report? It would be useful for all parties.
You should already have recent pictures as the landlord, from the inspection that was completed on the property, and in-between tenants. This will make your job as a landlord or property manager run much smoother, with documentation of the property’s condition, before and after the tenant.
While it can seem overwhelming to accomplish all these tasks as a landlord, it can still be a great way of income with little work on your end. Especially when working with a property management company. There are numerous tasks that have to be done for your property and your tenant. We make this job, a lot easier because we specialize in dealing with this daily.
We also offer a 24/7 emergency line for your tenants. Allowing you to sleep at night, where you won’t receive that 2:00 AM phone call about a clogged or leaking toilet. We will take care of it for you.
Real Property Management Wasatch has steps and procedures that help us to be successful to manage properties and tenants. We are always striving for excellency and critiquing what we need to do to make things more effective. We make “property management” a lot simpler for all owners and tenants alike. Real Property Management Wasatch is here to help and serve YOU!
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
