As a property owner, you should ensure positive interactions between you and your tenants. This is something you can do during the conduction of a move-in walkthrough. Why a move-in walkthrough? Well, it affords you and your tenant a host of benefits. Let’s look at these benefits for property owners and a few best practices for making the most of your move-in walkthrough.
Rethinking the Move-In Walkthrough
Too often, the move-in walkthrough is viewed as more of a tenant’s responsibility than something a landlord does. That isn’t always true, though; both tenant and landlord can benefit from a move-in walkthrough. A walkthrough should be held at both move-in and move-out. For the sake of those who don’t know what a move-in walkthrough is, it’s basically a thorough checking of the property to see if there are any repairs or issues that need to be addressed before the tenant moves in.
It’s quite a sensible thing for Berryville property managers to take the move-in walkthrough seriously. To further that point, let’s go over a few good reasons that support it.
- It facilitates good relations between you and your tenant. Walking through a property with your tenant gives the impression that you are a responsible landlord who oversees his investment with care; and, that you are open to your tenant’s feedback, too. Tenants will be more open to reporting small issues immediately if they know that their landlord responds positively. In the bigger picture, this helps reduce repair costs. While you’re at it, you can even run through the “house rules” with your tenant again. In your dealings with your tenants, make sure you think about how you can foster a relationship that is transparent and healthy.
- It helps you get the deposit deduction right at the end of the lease. To foster a smooth and hassle-free move-out time, you need good documentation of your property’s condition before your tenant moves in. This can help you better gauge wear and tear and other repair issues and provide ample evidence to support any deductions you make from your tenant’s security deposit.
Walkthrough Best Practices
To get the most out of a move-in walkthrough, you need to make us of a couple of best practices. Here are some:
- Schedule a walkthrough with your tenant. If it is possible, have a scheduled move-in walkthrough with your new tenant. This is a good way of getting off on the right foot — make the face-to-face interaction one that is positive and memorable!
- Use a checklist. It’s important that you give your tenant a move-in checklist, and that you look at it together. Make sure that your tenant receives a hard copy of this checklist. Doing this will give the positive impression that you are being very clear with the expectations between you and your tenant.
- Take photos. If you notice any issues that might become problems, make sure to document them and take pictures. These pictures can be used to schedule repairs, and they can serve as a reference for when you will need to do a move-out walkthrough.
These move-in walkthroughs might take time, but there are a lot of benefits that come from having them. Especially if your rental property isn’t within easy access to you, then these walkthroughs have to be planned ahead of time. You need someone who can handle the logistics and the planning for you, so as to optimize the time you allocate for these kinds of things. At Real Property Management Elevation, we provide a full range of services that help rental property owners make the most of their investments. Call 540-409-5857 today to learn more!
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