As a property manager, you are responsible for keeping your tenants and visitors safe. This makes regular inspections, using your property inspection app, an important part of ensuring a danger-free environment. When completing an inspection, you’ll want to make sure tenants aren’t violating the terms of their rental agreement. After all, the rental agreement is in place to protect, not only property management or owners, but tenants as well. Learn how to protect yourself, your rental property, and renters from common dangers and risks.

Potential Risks

Here are some potential dangers to look for and document with your property inspection app:

Extra Occupants

Most times it is difficult to differentiate overnight guests versus long-term visitors as a property manager. Additionally, most lease agreements specify the length of time visitors can stay in a rental property without adding them to the lease. If you suspect that a tenant has additional occupants, then a routing inspection is a good way to confirm it. Once you gain access to the apartment or home, you can inspect the premise to see if there is evidence of extra occupants. Knowing who occupies each rental unit is important because you want to protect other tenants from potential danger. Background checks are sometimes a part of the rental process and any additional renters need to undergo the same procedures. Otherwise, it is grounds for eviction for the original renter.

Unapproved Pets

Do you notice in odors, barking or purring sounds, or pet supplies? If so, a tenant may have an unauthorized pet in the rental property. Check out the rental unit during your routine inspection to get to the bottom of it. If you see a pet or evidence of a pet, you can address it with the tenant. Pets are loveable, but they can also pose a danger to residents and small children.  At your discretion, you can require the removal of the pet, evict the tenant, or charge an additional security deposit for the pet.

Potential Fire Hazards 

Beyond electrical issues, the type of material, chemicals, or the amount of property in an apartment or home can pose a fire threat. Also, make sure all stairs, doors, or windows aren’t blocked in case of a fire. It’s a potential fire code violation. Use your property inspection app to document the violation and give your resident a date that you’ll re-inspect the property.

Hoarding

If you notice an over-abundance of boxes, trash, or other items, determine if the property is safe or not. Hoarding can create fire threats, pest, and air quality issues. Take photos and store them in your property inspection app. You may have to call the city to aid you in enforcing mandatory cleaning and disposal of excessive items.

Illegal Activity

The last thing you want on the premises is drug activity. Property inspection tools can assist you in documenting any evidence of drug use and/or manufacturing. You definitely want to gather any proof to present to your tenant and any pertinent law enforcement agencies.

Remember, use property inspection tools to protect yourself from liability when it comes to the health and safety of your tenants.