If you’re a landlord with rental properties, then inspections are a crucial part of managing your investment. It’s not just a good way of checking that all the tenants are adhering to their tenancy agreements and paying their rent on time – it’s also the ideal opportunity for you to check that your property is in a reasonable state, both inside and out. This includes testing smoke and CO2 alarms, ensuring that all electric appliances are safe to use and that the garden isn’t a fire risk, as well as examining the condition of the building itself.

The vast majority of residential tenants will comply with their tenancy agreement and grant landlords access to their homes when required. However, there is a small percentage who refuse to allow landlords entry for various reasons, including not wanting their home to be disturbed or feeling that a landlord’s checks are excessive. While most landlords will understand this, it can still cause problems when it comes to gaining access for statutory health and safety checks and property inspections.

This is why it’s important to be clear about when you will need to access the property and make sure your tenants know that you’ll be visiting at least 24 hours before the visit. You can then agree a suitable time to enter the property, which will typically be outside working hours so that the visits don’t interfere with your tenants’ daily lives and prevent them from attending their workplace.

Regular landlord rental property inspection laws uk will help to maintain a positive relationship with your tenants and avoid any disputes down the line about the condition of the property. By ensuring that your tenants are happy and that the property is being well looked after, you’ll also be more likely to be able to persuade them to renew their tenancy at the end of their fixed term.

During the inspection process, it’s worth keeping in mind that there is a fine line between what’s considered fair wear and tear and what should be deemed damage caused by your tenants. It’s best to be a little lenient when it comes to damage, but ensure you are documenting all the areas of the property with photographic evidence and taking notes so that it’s easy for you to compile a report at the end of the tenancy.

Aside from statutory checks (such as gas, electricity and energy performance assessments) and landlord inspections, there are a number of other reasons why you may need to access your rental property, such as re-inspecting a damaged or unclean area. If you’re unsure about when you can legally gain access to your property without your tenant’s permission, contact the local authority who is responsible for landlord licensing in your area.

During an inspection, you can also take this opportunity to catch up with your tenants and discuss any issues they may have. This will also help you to keep a good line of communication throughout the tenancy, which can help resolve any issues more quickly and efficiently in the event of any problems down the line.